RAaVA
by Velvet95
Summary: What makes us human? (AU korrasami)
1. Prologue

**[AN] Totally and utterly and in all ways AU. Also, going to be _much_ darker than my previous works.**

 **Anyway, I'm a lifelong sci-fi geek, and I've been sort of thinking about this story for a while. It is influenced by a huge plethora of sources and I hope I do them all justice.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Explosions in space are eerie, snuffed out quickly as oxygen is lost to the vacuum. They burn as bright flashes into wincing pupils, leaving their trace amidst teary blinking. They are silent. There is nothing to betray their aftermath; no smell of lingering flames, no voices of survivors moaning their pain. There is nothing but the floating pieces of leftover destruction, glittering in what dim light there may be.

Sixteen years ago the Terran Galactic Empire disintegrated as an increasingly corrupt government dragged everyone thoughtlessly towards economic ruin. The head of the military, General Aang, was an enlightened man, disgusted by what he viewed as the loss of all honor and therefore any legitimacy of the ruling body, and he led the revolt to overthrow the old government and usher in a new era that put more power in regional governments and encouraged collaboration rather than top-down authoritarian rule.

Life was great for all of ten years under the Terran Alliance.

Then Aang was assassinated, apparently by anarchists who thought even regional governments were not to be tolerated. Without Aang's leadership, the Alliance also collapsed as each planetary system started competing against each other, trust gone, and with it apparently all hopes for peace.

And thus I found myself enlisting at the age of eighteen, over the loud objections of my parents, into the Armed Forces of the United Republic of Planets. I discovered I had a talent for flying and quickly advanced into the Space Fighter Corps. Battle attrition meant I received a lot of field promotions, and by the age of twenty-four, I was made captain and put in command of my own squadron. They're a motley band a misfits, but they're mine and I love them. My whole life is now dedicated to keeping them alive while we keep the United Republic safe.

I'm Captain Korra, callsign Avatar. My squadron is the Fire Ferrets, and we're the best there is.

—

I blink furiously, trying to clear the flashes from my eyes as my squadron prepares to hold the line against the latest encroacher. My fighter is battered and patched and I'm pretty sure I'm hearing a new oxygen leak through my canopy. There's a Fire System troop ship out there somewhere launching fighters at us, and my HUD flickers as it picks out the newest incoming targets.

"Here we go, people, second wave. Lock and load."

One of my two unit commanders, Lieutenant Mako, crackles to life in my ear. "I only see four blips on the scanner, Cap. That seems very wrong."

"Any sign of their launch base yet, Macho Man?"

"That's a negative, Cap. Also I fucking hate that callsign. I need a new one."

I snicker. "Blame your brother. As long as he has more kills than you, you get to keep the one he gave you."

"That's right, Macho Mako," crows Ensign Bolin, his gleeful voice flooding the comm. "You've got a lot of work to do to catch up to the Little Mouse, brother! Bombs away!"

"Hate to break up the party, people," I comment drily, "but we've got six new targets trying to circle around under us. Ironman, you copy?"

Lieutenant Iroh always guards our back door. Not one for a lot of words, he's absolutely reliable for ensuring our safe route if we need to retreat and regroup. Technically he's got seniority over Mako, but he was his squadron's only survivor of a Fire System attack a couple of years ago, and the guilt still seems to prevent him from ever accepting a promotion.

"Standing by, Cap."

I grunt as I see our incoming birds getting closer. "Macho and Mouse, the three of us are taking the top four. Bitches?"

"Boss Bitch here, Cap." I hear Commander Kuvira call out lazily. "We've got the six down-unders?"

I grin wickedly. Boss Bitch is my other unit commander, and is the only other member of the squadron (besides myself) who got to pick her own callsign and boy has she earned that right. Somehow we ended up having a boys team and a girls team, and the rivalry between the two is friendly, but fierce. With Ensigns Jinora (Wee Bitch) and Opal (Mad Bitch), Kuvira manages to tweak Mako and his crew on a regular basis. I'm also pretty sure there's also some money at stake between Iroh and Mako on whether or not Bolin and Opal are getting frisky, but if true they've been remarkably discrete so far.

"Just make sure to leave one or two for Iroh so he doesn't get bored, okay?"

"Ha, you're funny, Cap."

"Engaging in ten, Cap," Mako warns.

I place at the scanner, grateful that no additional birds have shown up. This should be no problem for us, but as always I throw up a prayer to whoever might by listening — Please keep my pilots safe.

"Okay, people. Losing team buys the drinks, let's go!"

And we're in the thick of it. I zero in on my target and unleash two missiles, barely registering the flash of the hit as I peel away seeking my next target, only to find that Mako and Bolin had cleared the other three, Bolin already gloating about his two shots, two kills. The three of us reorient and dive down to join the Bitches.

"Boss, speak to me. Where do you want us?"

"Two peeled off, probably back to their base," she responded. "You take those while we mop up here."

I hesitate. Our orders are to defend our territory, and we are generally discouraged from pursuing ships in retreat.

"Come on, Avatar, let's go get them!" Bolin shouts.

Then I see it, and my heart starts to pound. "Wait, Mako, check your scanner."

"Captain," I hear Iroh say loudly. "We need to fall back. Now."

I've never heard him sound so scared. "What are we looking at Ironman?"

"That's a dreadnaught. It can carry up to a hundred fighters and thousands of ground troops." Iron said flatly. "I thought they had all been destroyed, but apparently the Fire fuckers built a new one. "

My stomach drops, and I fumble hurriedly with my comm.

"Command, this is Captain Korra. Come in."

"We read you, Avatar. We also read something unholy big right behind you."

"Ironman says this is a dreadnaught, Command."

The comm squawks with sounds of fervent cursing.

"You guys get the hell out of there, right now. That first skirmish was probably to check for how many birds we had on patrol. There is likely another wave coming at you any second now. Get back here while we scramble up a welcome committee."

I haul on the stick and point my fighter towards home. "You heard Command, people. Let's get the fuck out of here."

"Caaap," I hear Bolin call out, a waver in his voice. "We've got trouble."

Shit.

"I got scanner contact, incoming from six, no seven, vectors," announced Mako.

"Son of a bitch," I hear Kuvira mutter. "They're trying to surround us."

"Copy that, Boss," I grind out, thinking fast. "Bitches, spear formation, punch a hole, and cherry bomb a perimeter. That should buy us enough time."

"Mmmm, love me some cherry pie," I hear Opal murmur, her voice playful despite the tension. Cherry bombs got their name from the bright red flash the emitted when they blew, and they could be set for either time based or proximity explosions. They were going to help cover our tails when we made a fun for it, and the forward guns of the fighters were going to shred anybody who got in the way.

"Ironman—" I begin, only for him to cut me off.

"I'm the tail of the spear, Cap." His tone suggests he's expecting an argument but he's not taking no for an answer. I can't really argue with him. The two of us are the best flyers, and I know he won't let me go last.

"Copy that, Ironman. Macho and Mouse, slide in behind Mad and Wee and wait for me and Ironman to form up before you start throwing your cherries. I don't want to have dodge those mothers."

"Copy that, Cap." Mako grunts.

I glance once more at the scanner. They are coming in fast. Too fast. "Kuvira, go."

"Bitches, away," she howls and she peels off straight for planet side, ready to reign death on any asshole who is stupid enough to get in front of her. She carries extra missiles rather than cherries, so she's always at the front of any maneuver, just how she likes it.

Wee and Mad spiral in quickly behind her, flinging their cherries off to form a cylinder that the rest of us fly through.

"Here they come," Iroh growls. "Cherries away!"

I see the glow of the explosions as the first of the enemy fighters starts running into our bomb field. Hopefully they take the hint and slow down to give us enough time to get the hell out.

"On your tail, Mouse!" I hear Mako shout and I break out in a sweat. How the hell did they get so close so fast?

"Get him off me, bro!"

"Bring him right!"

"I'm trying!"

"Shit, two coming up fast on us, Wee!" says Opal. "Scissor me!"

Scissor move is awesome when it works, and Jinora and Opal do it better than most — they fly straight at each other and flip their fighters at the last minute so that they pass scarily near each other, belly to belly, but spinning away in opposite directions. Their pursuers don't react quickly enough and run into each other in a flash of orange and yellow.

Kuvira is mowing down ship after ship that apparently had been lying in wait. "Baby bitches, your boss needs more missile action up here."

"Copy that." Jinora responds, then she squeaks in surprise. "On your tail, Boss! Swing up!"

"Mother fucker! Get him off my ass!"

"Shit that was close."

Fuck, fuck, fuck. This is not how I planned for today to go. "Command, where's that welcome committee? We're having a fucking party out here!"

"On their way, Avatar. Two minutes."

A huge explosion nearby shakes my ship as I'm racing to try to back up Mako. "Iroh, what's your status?"

I get no response, but a bird is coming at me and I'm busy for a few minutes until I can put a missile through it.

"Dammit, Ironman, what's your status?" A scanner check shows the number of enemy fighters dwindling quickly, but it also shows what I was afraid to see.

Ironman is gone.

Tears stream down my face but I manage to keep my voice steady. "Macho, Boss, I need status."

"We're busy but okay so far, Cap." Kuvira pants, clearly in the thick of a fight.

"Little busy, Cap," Mako gasps. "Bo, I can't shake this guy and I'm out of cherries."

"I'm coming, bro, hang on!"

"I can't get clear! Shit, shit, I'm sorry, Bo, I'm sorry!"

I hear Bolin crying and my chest starts to heave, I'm pushing my fighter as fast as it can go, but I know I won't get there in time.

"Mako, just hang on, I've almost got him," Bolin pleads.

"I love you, bro—"

There's a crackle, then silence. I'm sobbing in fury, my only remaining thought to save the rest of my squadron. Mako's killer disappears in a fiery burst, Bolin's missile landing a minute too late.

"Bolin, I'm coming in on your six, we need to form up with the Bitches."

I get no response. "Little Mouse, come on, we need to regroup and I need my wingman." My voice is shaking and my tears won't stop.

"Copy that, Cap," he finally whispers, and we swing around and down.

"Welcoming committee coming in." I hear the relief in Kuvira's voice and my stomach starts to unclench.

Then Bolin groans. "Oh fuck, Cap, two more coming at us."

"Oh, fuck that," Kuvira shouts. "We're coming, Cap."

"No!" I shout frantically. "Keep Mad and Wee safe, Boss!"

"Not leaving you in the shit," she grinds out. "These assholes just don't know when to stop, do they?"

I line up my shot and get the first bird, then swing around to back up Bolin. To my horror I see flames flaring from his engine. "Mouse, status!"

"Clipped me, Cap," he manages. His voice is muffled, and I know his helmet's face mask has automatically sealed, not a good sign. "Bird still out there."

I'm looking around frantically, but can't see it. "Boss Bitch, you see anything?"

"Negative, Cap. Coming up on you now. Welcoming committee is right behind me."

Then I hear Jinora call out, her voice shrill. "Topside, Cap, watch out—"

And there is darkness.

* * *

 **Please don't hate me...**


	2. On Another's Sorrow

_"O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,_

 _The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won,_

 _The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,_

 _While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;"_

\- Walt Whitman

—

 _Beep._

 _Beep._

 _Beep._

Quiet, endless, beeping.

A muffled hiss.

Repeated.

A sharp smell. Disinfectant.

What the hell happened to me?

Voices. Muted, but getting louder.

"…ahead of schedule." A deep voice. Irritated. Cajoling.

"Everyone is different." A lighter voice. Warm. Firm. "We should be ready for it to take as long as it takes."

"The economic viability—"

"Is irrelevant. This woman and her companions probably saved an entire planet through their actions. There is no expense too heavy as far as I'm concerned."

Cool fingers at my wrist. A light brush against my jaw.

"I wish you would reconsider your position."

"There is nothing more to be said. I categorically refuse to make the requested changes, and I don't require your committee's approval nor their funding for my research. The lack of ethics in that proposal are so repugnant I'm not sure I can convey to you the full extant of my disgust."

There's a pause, then the sound of footsteps retreating.

I can't see, nor move, but my brain is too fuzzy to be concerned with this. I feel the softest caress against my cheek, and I want so desperately to press against that comforting touch.

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

"Aha. I think you might be starting to wake up, my friend." I hear the warm voice close to me. A woman's voice. Velvety smooth. I try to think if I've ever heard it before. I know I want to hear that voice when it laughs.

She's still talking to me, and I struggle to concentrate. "But hey, don't wake up too fast, okay? Take your time. You need your rest."

There's a slight tug on my arm followed by a cool sensation under my skin, and the sounds start to fade away. As unconsciousness starts to take me again I feel a soft kiss against my forehead.

"Sleep well, my brave Captain."

—

 _Dammit, Ironman, what's your status?_

 _I can't get clear! Shit, shit, I'm sorry, Bo, I'm sorry!_

 _I love you, bro._

 _I'm sorry!_

 _Bolin, eject, eject!_

 _Cap, watch out!_

 _Just hang on, I'm almost there!_

 _God I'm so sorry…_

"No!" I sit bolt upright, gasping for breath. A wave of excruciating pain and dizziness overwhelms me, but I quickly feel hands on my shoulders, easing me back down.

"Hey there, welcome back."

I turn awkwardly towards that glorious voice, hand raised defensively. "I can't see. Where am I? Who are you?"

"Shhh. You're okay." I feel my hand gripped tightly, a thumb running comfortingly across my knuckles, and I squeeze back in gratitude. "A whole lot of things have happened to you, and I promise you I will explain as much as I can."

My hand is placed gently back onto my stomach, and I feel a soft pat on my wrist.

"Okay, let's start with you. You were badly injured during your last mission and you're currently in the hospital. Right now a good chunk of your head is bandaged, and that includes your eyes. That's why you can't see."

I hold very still. I'm not sure I want to hear any more about my injuries right now, so I ask her again, "Who are you?"

"My name is Doctor Asami Sato, but please call me Asami." I feel her squeeze my hand again.

"Um, okay—Asami. I'm Korra."

"And I am very, very pleased to finally be able to meet you when you're awake!" she exclaimed. "You've been out for a while."

"How long?" I whisper.

I feel a second hand come up to hold mine. "You've been in a coma for just under six weeks."

The gasp escapes before I can bite it back. I try to reach out with my other hand but something is wrong. "What the hell? Asami—"

I feel her hands release mine and slide up my arms to grip my shoulders.

"Korra, anyone with your level of injury would be nervous and even scared right now, so if you are please know it's okay. I'm here to help you."

I swallow hard, my stomach churning. "How—" I can't get the words out.

Thumbs are rubbing softly over my shoulders now, offering comfort, but she says nothing and waits patiently for me speak again.

I lick my lips. "How bad is it?" I finally manage to choke out.

I hear Asami take a deep breath. "I won't lie to you, Korra. It's pretty bad. Are you sure you want to hear it now?"

I don't answer right away. I reach out with the hand I know is at least working somewhat and she grabs it again. I realize she has called me Captain, but hasn't said anything about the rest of my squadron. I need to hear that first. My injuries can wait.

"No, I don't. Not right now."

Another squeeze. "Okay, we won't talk about that. I'd like to—"

"What happened to the rest of my squadron?"

She gasps, and my hand clenches around hers hard.

"Please, I have to know." My voice shakes. Needy.

I hear a rustle and a scrape, then I feel the bed near my hip dip a little. She's now sitting next to me on my bed, my hand still held firmly by hers.

"Captain," she begins, then pauses. "Korra… I'm not sure this is a great idea right now."

"What? No, please just tell me," I beg. It's killing me not to know, now that I've recovered enough to even think clearly.

There's another long pause, then she sighs.

"Okay, here's what I can tell you. Lieutenant Iroh and Lieutenant Mako were killed during the initial skirmish. Ensign Bolin's fighter was damaged but he was able to eject and was recovered by Ensign Jinora. However, one of the enemy fighters exploded close to your group during the recovery, which severely damaged both Commander Kuvira and Ensign Opal's fighters. Ensign Opal had light to moderate injuries and has already been discharged from the hospital. She and Jinora have been by to see you almost every day, by the way."

Asami paused, and she resumed stroking my hand.

"Commander Kuvira and Ensign Bolin are both still in a medically induced coma due to the extent of their injuries."

I can't stop shaking. Almost my entire squadron wiped out, under my command. My responsibility.

My fault.

 _Oh god…_

 _Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

"Captain?" The urgency in Asami's tone barely breaks through the roaring in my ears. My breath rattles in my chest and I toss my head from side to side, as if to shake free the horror in my head.

"Captain, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said anything to you yet. I'm going to give you a little something to help, okay?"

I feel the cool sensation in my arm again; she's injected something into my IV line.

"I'm so sorry, Korra. I'll let you sleep now." She sounds sad, defeated. Her footsteps start to walk away.

"Wait!" I gasp. "Please—"

She hurries back, and I feel her hand on mine again.

"What do you need?"

"Please," I say again, curling my fingers around hers, my tongue starting to feel heavy in my mouth. "Stay."

I hear her breath catch, and her thumbs rubs my knuckle, so very gently.

"Of course I will. As long as you need."

I feel the side of my bed dip again. She's reseated herself next to me. Then her voice, low and soothing, reciting words to me as a I slip gratefully into unconsciousness. A story? No, a poem. It's beautiful, the words wrap around me like her fingers around my hand, both giving comfort.

 _Can I see another's woe,_

 _And not be in sorrow too?_

 _Can I see another's grief,_

 _And not seek for kind relief?_

 _Can I see a falling tear,_

 _And not feel my sorrow's share?_

 _Can a father see his child_

 _Weep, nor be with sorrow filled?_

Her voice is soft and gentle. I can feel oblivion approaching, but I fight it off, wanting desperately to keep listening to that wonderful voice.

 _Think not thou canst sigh a sigh,_

 _And thy Maker is not by:_

 _Think not thou canst weep a tear,_

 _And thy Maker is not near._

 _Oh He gives to us his joy,_

 _That our grief He may destroy:_

 _Till our grief is fled an gone_

 _He doth sit by us and moan._

* * *

 **Notes:**

 **Asami is reciting "On Another's Sorrow", by William Blake**


	3. A Stranger - A Friend

**[AN] This turned out a lot longer than I planned, but I decided to go with it rather than break it up.**

* * *

 _one night..._

 _A stranger came_

 _Knocking at my door_

 _I let him in_

 _One day..._

 _He became a friend_

 _\- Annabel Culajara, "A Stranger - A Friend"_

—

When I sleep, I have nightmares. Even if I get a sedative to help my heart is always pounding and sweat beads on my skin when I gasp myself awake. I know Asami is concerned but she blessedly says nothing, as if she knows I don't want to talk about it. It's strange though — sometimes I feel like she's talking to me while I'm dreaming. I have these vague memories of a voice breaking into my dream state and talking to me, or maybe I'm just going crazy.

"What kind of doctor are you?" I ask one day. I'm confused because she seems to spend the better part of each day with me, which I'm pretty sure is not standard operating procedure for a doctor.

"I'm your doctor," she says, amusement in her tone. "Did you want to review my credentials?"

"Sure," I say. "Since we can't play checkers or anything."

"We will soon enough," she replies. I hear what sounds like a shuffling of papers, then she clears her throat. "Well, I am an medical doctor with specialties in neurology and psychiatry, and I hold a PhD in Engineering with a specialty in cybernetics."

My draw drops.

"But you don't sound old. You must be like sixty for all of that!"

She bursts out laughing and I can't help but smile. It sounds as good as I imagined it would and I don't want her to ever stop.

"Actually, I'm only a few years older than you."

I snort in disbelief. "Not possible."

She's still chuckling a little when she replies. "I'm a bit of a freak. I graduated high school at twelve, and university at fifteen. Currently I'm doing a post-doctorate fellowship to continue the research I started during medical school and for which I also did my engineering dissertation. At the moment you are my only patient, though I might get two more soon."

"Kuvira and Bolin?"

"Technically I'm not supposed to discuss that with you for patient confidentiality reasons, but let's just say it's a possibility."

I ponder this. "What about us is special to you?"

There's a long silence but I wait patiently. I have a feeling I'm going to want to know the answer to this. I hear the rustle of clothes next to me and know she's settled down in the chair she keeps next to my bed.

"To answer that question we would have to finally discuss your current injuries in detail, and until now that seems like a topic you've wanted to avoid," she finally tells me. "I've tried to respect that until now, but I will warn you we do have to have that conversation fairly soon."

I sigh, but am spared from having to respond with the arrival of visitors.

"Hey, Cap!" husks Opal. Her throat and lungs were damaged from toxic fumes flooding her cockpit after the explosion, making her sound like an old woman who drinks a lot whiskey and smokes an ass-load of cigarettes.

"Damn Mad, you still sound like shit. Feel any better yet?"

"Yeah, hardly hurts any more, and my speech therapist says I'll be back to mostly normal eventually. You, on the other hand, still look like shit, so I'm feeling okay about myself."

I snigger and flip my middle finger in what I hope is her general direction. Jinora is choking back a laugh somewhere nearby. I'm nearly overcome with gratitude that at least some of my pilots are okay; to have them here messing with me is better than any pain meds.

Asami pats my shoulder as she stands up. "I will leave you three to your fun, but will be back in about an hour, okay? We'll talk then."

"Okay," I mutter.

"See you later, Doc," says Jinora cheerfully.

I hear a small thud next to me; somebody has claimed the seat Asami vacated.

"So," rasps Opal. "You still look like a fucking mummy. When are you getting some of this shit taken off, anyway?"

"Apparently soon. Asami's been letting me take my time about dealing with the full extent of the damage, but she's more or less put me on notice that it's coming."

"Ooooh, 'Asami,'", Jinora teases. "What is it with you and the pretty girls, anyway? Even looking like you lost a fight with a chainsaw you still have 'em eating out of your hand."

"Oh fuck you very much, Wee," I grumble. "Wait, she's pretty? What— what does she look like?"

"Very, very hittable, as Bolin would say." Opal pokes me in the arm. "Long dark hair, legs that go for miles, these green eyes that seem to twinkle a whole lot when she looks at you. Normally I'd think you slipped something in her coffee, but since you can't even see her coffee, I'm gonna go with the fact that she must have very bad taste."

Jinora laughs. "Oh, look at her blushing. Methinks the good doctor is not the only one crushing here, Cap."

"I am not even having this conversation. She's just my doctor for crying out loud."

"Uh-huh."

"Right."

I don't want to darken the mood, but I have to ask. "Did you guys go see Mouse and Boss? How are they doing?"

Opal taps the side of my bed. "Still conked out, but Doctor Sato says everything is looking really good and she thinks they'll be able to wake Mouse up in a couple of days. Boss might take a little longer, because her suit got depressurized after she ejected so that fucked some extra stuff up."

"Still," says Jinora. "Last week nobody would give us a straight answer. Then Doc started coming around a couple of days ago to check on them and she's been very cool about explaining things to us."

My respect for Asami goes up several notches. She's taking care of all of us it seems. "Well, when she gets back, I think we're gonna talk about what the hell is going on under all these damn bandages. Time to stop being a wuss about it."

"Damn right!" Opal announces. "The Avatar knows no fear!"

"The Avatar knows plenty of fear," I reply sadly. "And I'm living my biggest nightmare right now." I pick at my blanket with my working hand. "Did somebody talk to Iroh's family yet?"

Mako and Bolin were orphans, and always proclaimed loudly that their squadron was more than enough family for them. Iroh, though, he had a huge family with a long tradition of military service. They were a proud bunch, but they'd suffered a lot of loss over the years and this was going to be hard on them.

Jinora cleared her throat. "I went to see them with the my dad." Her father, Colonel Tenzin, was the base chaplin and usually the one to inform families that their loved ones weren't coming home. "They're hanging in there, and they want to come visit everyone at the hospital when everybody's awake." She takes a shuddering breath, and I know she's fighting back tears.

I sigh. "I'm sorry, Wee. I should have been the one to go."

Opal pokes me again. "Like you're gonna go see anybody right now. You'd have to drag yourself blindly with your lips."

Jinora's chuckle is weak, but welcome. "I know Kuvira is the Boss Bitch, but damn, Mad. You give her a run for her money sometimes."

"She's been a good example." It's now Opal's turn to choke up a little, and I reach out and find her arm, gripping it tightly.

"They're gonna be okay, Mad," I insist. "They just have to be."

We sit in silence for a while, then Opal shakes herself and makes another sarcastic comment about me being a gimp, which leads me to giving her shit about her voice, and soon we're all laughing so hard we can't breathe. I'm sure the hospital staff thinks we're totally insane, but I don't care.

I just love my Bitches.

—

Asami returns after about an hour, and she's brought treats for all of us in the form of soft serve ice cream cones. I am practically moaning with pleasure at how good it tastes, and according to Jinora I look like I am practically making love to the chocolaty goodness. In retaliation I flick out my tongue and take a long lick, and I hear a clatter that makes me jump.

"Goodness, I'm so sorry," stammers Asami. "I thought I had a better grip on my clipboard—"

Jinora is coughing and Opal immediately says, "Welp, that was great doc, and good to see you Cap, but we'll be going now!"

"Damn, okay," I reply wistfully. "Come back to tomorrow?"

I feel their hands each patting me on the leg. They both give assurances they'll be back whether I like it or not, and depart.

I hear paper rustling again, and I suspect that Asami is fidgeting. I take my last bite of ice cream and sigh happily.

"Man, I might have to marry you now."

There's another clatter and sound of paper fluttering.

"Are you okay over there?" I ask, smirking a little.

She clears her throat, several times. "Yes, sorry. Too much coffee perhaps. You're going to marry me, why?"

"You brought me ice cream! Clearly, you're the perfect woman."

She laughs, the sound bright and cheery, and I smile broadly. "Well, I hope you still feel that way after our chat."

"That sounds ominous, but I'm pretty sure I have to be nice to you if we're going to get married."

She settles down next to me, and for the first time I notice a hint of perfume, delicately floral and with just a hint of spiciness. Her arm comes to rest on the bed next to mind, but she does not take my hand. We sit quietly for a moment, then she blows out her breath.

"Are you ready for this, Captain?"

I remind myself that I'm breathing and talking when two of my squadron are dead and two are still in a coma. I owe it to them to take whatever she tells me and go with it.

"Lay it on me, doc."

"You took a hit, but fortunately the strike was on the nose of your fighter and the resulting explosion dislodged the cockpit module and you were blown clear. Ensign Opal had just recovered you when the second explosion happened, so you took double damage."

Asami's voice gets quiet. I lean towards her slightly to hear her better.

"You suffered catastrophic injuries to both your legs, your left arm, and the left side of your face. You had so much blood loss, you were in full cardiac arrest when you finally arrived on base." She pauses before continuing. "For all intents and purposes, you were dead, Captain."

My head is reeling. I thought it was bad, but who could prepare for hearing news like this?

"How—" I can't seem to speak. I clear my throat and try again. "How am I still here?"

There's another long pause.

"You asked what was special about you. About your squadron. What's special is the way you were injured. My research is around major advancements in prosthetics, and military personal unfortunately tend to be in need of assistance in this area on a fairly regular basis. I was actually in the process of finalizing negotiations when the Fire System attacked, and your squadron almost single-handedly repelled them. The military high command decided very quickly to let me try to help you."

She falls silent, waiting for my response.

"So," I say slowly, struggling to wrap my head around what she's telling me. "You're saying my arm and legs have been blown off and the side of my head is bashed in?" I feel a little dizzy, and for some reason, start giggling. "And here I was worried you were gonna tell me some bad news!"

She doesn't answer, but my hysterical giggles soon fade and turn into groans as a wave of nausea hits me. Somehow she gets a basin under my chin as my stomach heaves and empties.

"Oh god," I groan. "I'm sorry about that."

"Don't you dare apologize." She presses me back against my pillows, and I feel a cool cloth wipe my face. "Here. Sip a little of this." She puts a straw to my mouth and I take a couple sips of water before my head drops back.

"Thanks," I whisper.

"So, I know what I've told you is overwhelming, but I do have what I hope is good news." She sounds nervous, and is clearly waiting for my okay before she continues.

"I'll take some good news," I say finally.

"Maybe better if I show you."

I shoot back up, ignoring the discomfort. "You're gonna take the bandages off now?"

"Yes. It's time. Actually, it's been time for a couple of days. But only if you think you're ready."

It doesn't take me long to decide. I've always been the impatient sort, and we're on a roll now. "I'm ready. Let's do it."

She doesn't hesitate, perhaps afraid I'll change my mind. The bandages around my head go first. "Keep your eyes closed for now," she tells me. "They'll be sensitive to the light."

The sensation of the bandages being pulled away is strange; my head feels lighter, and colder. I do as she suggests and keep my eyes closed as I feel her move down, unwrapping my arm and my legs. I shiver, not realizing how much the bandages had helped keep me warm.

I hear footsteps as she steps away followed by the sound of the blinds being closed, and the click of the lightswitch; she's turned off the lights.

"Okay, Korra, I've made it pretty dark in here. Go ahead and open your eyes."

I take a deep breath, then cautiously open my eyes. After weeks of darkness, even the dim light of the room is almost painfully bright. I focus immediately on what I can see of my body. My right hand shows some recently healed scars, but otherwise looks okay. My gaze drifts over to my left hand. There, lying on the bed, is an arm, looking remarkably like my left arm in fact. Unlike my right arm, the skin is smooth and uninjured. I don't understand what I'm seeing. I thought she had said that arm was gone? I had expected to see something like the military issue prosthetics I had seen on some people, ugly and mostly non-functional, useful mostly as something to fill out a shirt sleeve.

My gaze drops lower and I see my legs. Uninjured, like my left arm. I wiggle my toes experimentally. They wiggle, although it feels strange and they don't seem to move very well. A hand comes into view, gently taking my left wrist and lifting it up. The touch feels nice, yet somehow dulled, as if it was through a thick glove. A firm brush across my wrist, and to my shock, a small hatch pops open on the back of my hand. Where there should be flesh and bone and blood is a small electronic panel, with tiny lights flickering. I stare at it, lifting my hand to bring it closer so I could see it better. There's a little readout screen showing a slew of numbers, and underneath that I can see what appears to be metal versions of my hand bones, moving as my hand moved.

Through all this Asami stood near me, staying silent, letting me take it all in. After a few minutes she picks up something from a nearby table and holds it out to me. It's a mirror, and I take it as I finally raise my gaze to see her properly for the first time. She's wearing green scrubs and a long white lab coat. Her black hair is pulled back into a loose knot and her eyes, damn, Opal did not due them nearly enough justice. Her eyes show her compassion and her kindess, and are such a brilliant green as to almost glow in the low light. Her gaze flickers down to the mirror I'm still holding and I follow it, raising the mirror up to see my face.

There are scars here, too, mostly around my left cheek and forehead. I blink, bringing the mirror even closer. My right eye is the familiar blue, though slightly bloodshot. My left eye looks light blue, even gray, and with a start I realize it too is a prosthetic. Against my temple a small device is attached, more tiny lights blinking. I look back up at Asami who's continued to stand near me, nervous and silent, awaiting my reaction.

I'm so overwhelmed I'm having trouble forming any words. Instead I reach out my hand, as I have done so many times. She hesitates, then grasps my hand in her own. Tears fall down my cheek, but only my right one; the left has no tear ducts. Her expression softens, and that look of compassion undoes me. I sob, shaking, torn between my crushing grief and guilt and the stunned shock that I might actually recover.

* * *

 **Notes:**

 **Not every question has been answered yet, but more to come soon! Also, this has been sort of a feel good moment, but don't expect that to last much longer...**

 **(cue ominous soundtrack music)**


	4. There is Beauty in the Struggle

**[AN] Some questions answered, and new ones added...**

 **Also, to all my fellow Yanks, Happy Thanksgiving - I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!**

* * *

 _There is beauty in the struggle_

 _Don't let anyone tell you otherwise_

 _I didn't see it in myself_

 _But I've seen it in other's eyes_

 _People brave but good in heart_

 _People who try and do their part_

 _even when things are broken apart_

 _They hope and pray for a another start…_

 _\- James T Adair_

—

When I awake, I see that it's dark outside. The only light is what sneaks past the door to my room from the hall. I blink repeatedly, not used to being able to see anything after my long sojourn behind my bandages. My gaze drops to my new arm and I experiment with wiggling the fingers, watching them move sluggishly on the blanket. I can sort of feel the rough wool under my fingers, but only slightly.

"Weird," I breathe softly.

As I raise my eyes to look down the bed towards my feet, I realize there's someone else in the room with me. I hadn't noticed it earlier, but there's a desk shoved into the corner of the room. Piles of paper, and bits and pieces of electronics are scattered across the top, nearly covering a small laptop computer. Amidst the piles I see the slumped form of Asami, asleep in her chair, her head resting against one arm. I cock my head, taking a better look now that I'm not having a nervous breakdown about my new parts. Her face shows her exhaustion, and I wonder how much sleep she's actually getting since I became her patient. She's still breathtakingly beautiful despite the dark circles under her eyes, and her constant presence in my room is finally explained — either I'm in her office or she brought her office into my room. However, she can't be comfortable like that and my back starts to ache in sympathy.

"Asami," I say quietly, trying not to startle her.

She doesn't move.

I try again, louder. "Asami!"

She sits straight up, hey eyes a little wild. "Korra?"

"You're gonna be hating life if you keep sleeping at your desk like that, Doc."

She stands up and stretches then stumbles over to my bed, her eyes automatically scanning the monitors over my head as she gets closer. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess. Kind of numb."

She runs her hand down my left arm and pops open my hatch, leaning over to check the readout. I catch her biting back a yawn as she stands back up.

"Doc."

"Hrm?"

"You need to go home and sleep. You look dead on your feet." I say sternly. "It's not like I'm gonna go anywhere."

She shakes her head. "I usually catch a nap in one of the lounges, but I live too far away to leave the hospital."

"Why?"

She hitches a hip on the bed and slumps down. "Korra, you are literally the first human being I've ever installed this much hardware on. There's no way I'm going farther than about ninety seconds from you until you're fully recovered, even with—" She stops suddenly.

I perk up immediately. "Even with what?"

She yawns again and looks sheepish. "Can I tell you tomorrow? It's going to be a little hard to explain, and I'm just too incoherent to do it justice."

"You promise?"

"I promise." She pushes herself up, fatigue clear on her face. "I'm gonna go find a free couch in one of the doctor's lounges, but I'll be back, okay?" She heads for the door, her hand half raised in a wave.

I bite my lip. I hate the thought of her on a couch, and if I'm being honest with myself I hate the thought of being alone. "Asami?"

She pauses in the doorway, looking back at me with one eyebrow raised. I gesture for her to come back, and she does so immediately. I give her an embarrassed smile, then scoot myself over. "Here, there's plenty of room. If you need to keep an eye on me, you might as well be comfortable."

She looks at me in shock. "Captain, that's highly unprofessional," she begins.

"Hey, look at this way. You're gonna sleep better this way, which means your brain is going to function better tomorrow, which means you'll be a better doctor, okay? You get too sleep-deprived and who knows what you're gonna end up attaching to me."

She tries to look stern, but I see the smile break out as she chuckles. "Such a charmer. Is being moderately insulting how you get most women into your bed?"

I smirk. "Actually, I usually just have to wink at them and offer to show them my flight stick."

She pauses, halfway onto the mattress. "Your what?"

"Exactly. It totally confuses them, and they follow me home to try and figure out what I'm talking about."

She settles down next to me, then pokes me in the shoulder. "Your sense of humor is deranged, but I will admit that I'm glad you're showing that you have one. I've been pretty worried about you, Captain."

The warmth of her body is making me lightheaded. "Yeah, well. I seem to have a semi-decent doctor, so I'm not too worried."

She pokes me again, and her voice is low and raspy with exhaustion. "You have an amazing doctor who is going to kick your ass into shape."

I smile. "I have no doubt. Goodnight, Asami."

She doesn't respond, and when I sneak a quick look at her she's clearly out cold, her face looking a lot more relaxed than it did when she was at her desk. I let my eyes close, feeling comforted by her presence. My last lucid thought is that I hope no nurse comes in and wakes us up.

—

I wake to the sound of hushed argument, apparently taking place just outside my room.

"Traumatic Brain Injury was not one of the listed diagnoses, Doctor Sato." The voice is vaguely familiar, but I can't place it. I can't miss the patronizing tone, though, and my right hand instantly clenches into a fist. "You are a civilian doctor and these are military personnel. You can't stop me from transferring whomever I wish."

"The wording of the agreement was quite clear that there was leeway on that list, not to mention the subsequent addendum filed the day after the battle that explicitly lists all the members of the squadron." I've never heard Asami speak this way, fury making her words cold and precise, like she's taking extra care to let anyone listening know how much she's despising everything about this conversation. "To make it more explicit, I had a followup discussion with Fleet Admiral Izumi two days ago where she reaffirmed that the recovery of the surviving members of the Fire Ferrets is to remain solely under my jurisdiction. You are welcome to argue the case with her, Colonel Tarrlok. Perhaps you can speak with her at the memorial in honor of her son and his unit leader next week."

There's a pause, then I hear a enraged hiss. "This is not over."

"You may think whatever you wish, but I am certainly completely done with this conversation."

She appears in the doorway, pushing the door firmly shut behind her. I wince when I see her face; I have never her seen look so completely pissed _._ She must see something in my expression that worries her, for she takes a deep breath and comes over to sit down in her chair next to me.

"I assume you heard that," she mutters. "I'm sorry."

"Some of it," I reply. "But I'm not sure why you're apologizing. Sure didn't sound like _you_ were doing anything wrong."

"I shouldn't have let him argue with me where it would disturb you." She sounds frustrated, and I know she still has to be really tired. "But I also didn't want to leave you."

I poked her playfully. "Can't bear to be separated from me, huh, Doc?"

She refuses to meet my gaze. "I don't trust him."

"Colonel Tarrlok? I've heard of him. He's played the nasty politics game into a lapdog spot at High Command under some General or another. Top grade douche from all accounts."

Asami snorts. "I've certainly seen nothing that disproves that view."

"He's bugged you before I take it?"

"About once a week." She stands up abruptly and moves to her desk, pushing piles of papers around, clearly looking for something.

"So?"

"So what?" She's still rearranging her desk, still not looking at me.

I sigh. "So why is he bugging you?"

She doesn't answer, but I can see her shoulders tensing up.

"Doctor Sato!"

Her head jerks up and I see fear flash across her eyes. Whatever this is about it's clearly got her spooked, and since it apparently involves me and my pilots I feel a certain right to know what's going on.

"Come on, Doc. Spill."

"Korra—" She has a white knuckled grip on her desk, and her eyes are now squeezed shut.

My heart lurches at seeing her in that much distress. I may have been stuck in a hospital bed for weeks but my instincts are kicking in now. Before I realize what I'm doing I've thrown my blanket back and swung my new legs over the side of the mattress. My feet hit the ground and I try to push myself up. I make two glorious steps before I lose my balance and collapse into a groaning heap on the floor.

Asami gasps and hurries to my side. "Korra, what are you doing?" she cries. "Oh god, don't move for a sec, okay?" Her hands are moving all over me, checking me for injuries. My wrist hatch has popped open and she carefully lifts my arm, checking the readout.

"Damn, something's off. Do you have any pain anywhere?"

"Only my dignity," I grunt. Sweat beads across my brow, and I struggle to get up.

Asami groans under her breath. "You are the most stubborn, exasperating—"

"Yeah, well. Fire Ferrets are like that," I grunt as she slips her arm under me and together we get back into my bed where I lean back, trying to catch my breath.

She fumbles behind me and pulls a thin black cable forward, then stands fidgeting with it.

"Asami, I don't know what the hell is going on, but I need to tell you something okay?"

Her luminous green eyes meet mine, uncertainty still stamped there.

"I get that I'm sort of a research project for you, and I pretty much signed away rights to my body to United Forces when I signed up so it's not like I have a lot of say in whatever it is you want to do to me." She looks stricken at this but I grab her hand and grip it hard. "But look, Doc. You've also treated me with nothing but respect and kindness, and you're clearly putting yourself on the line for me with regards to High Command which I know can't be fun." I hold her gaze with my own, willing her to believe what I'm saying. "I just want you to know that you've earned a solid 'me giving you the benefit of the doubt', okay? Whatever it is, I trust you." I give her hand a playful shake, rubbing her knuckles comfortingly. "I trust you, Asami."

She blinks rapidly and turns away, failing to hide the shimmer that suddenly gleams in her eyes. I release her hand, and she pinches the bridge of her nose before taking a long shuddering breath.

"Thank you for that," she finally says, her voice quiet and rough with emotion. Then she straightens up and shows me the cable. "Tarrlok is here partially because of you, but mostly because of what I've been using to help you."

She runs her finger along the implant on my temple. I feel a strange sensation and hear a small click before she plugs the cable into it.

"My mother was killed in a Fire System bombardment when I was six," she tells me as she checks the connection. "She was among about a hundred or so casualties, dead and wounded. Most of the wounded were disfigured or suffered brain damage due to their injuries." Satisfied, she drops her hand then sinks down into her chair near my bed. "My mother had always told me that I could do whatever I wanted, but that the best thing I could do was to help people who needed it. At first, I wanted to figure out how to bring people back from the dead, because I missed her so badly."

"God, I'm so sorry," I start to say, but she shakes her head and I stop to let her continue.

"Obviously that wasn't going to happen. So, instead I focused on the others, the wounded. Their lives were changed utterly in that moment. And I thought of all the soldiers and pilots, putting their lives on the line and coming home missing parts of the their bodies or being psychologically devastated. That's what I decided that that's what I could do, help people with catastrophic injuries recover their lives as much as possible."

"So far I'm hearing nothing but awesome. What's Tarrlok's deal?"

She sighs, and rubs her face tiredly.

"Your prosthetics are part of a larger system. Getting them to accurately replicate biologic function requires a level of neuro-integration nobody has ever tried before. My system has the ability to impact brain function at very low levels so that damage can be repaired, and so that prosthetics can truly be bio-equivalent neurologically. Tarrlok hasn't said specifically, but the questions he's asked make it clear he wants to use my technology in a weaponized way, and I will not allow that!"

Her voice rises in anger and she grips my hand so hard that I wince. Behind me the monitor starts beeping softly, and she head whips around, her eyes scanning the readouts carefully.

"Shit, okay, brace yourself Korra. You get to meet the rest of my system now, because I need to use it to check your internals, okay?"

I blink, looking around the room.

"Meet? What do you mean? Meet who?"

Asami's lip curls slightly. "My regenerative assistant and virtual augmentation system. It's a little silly, but I call her Raava."

"Raava?"

"Hello, Captain Korra," says a voice quite close to my ear.

* * *

 **Welp, we have a name for our first bad guy, and sorry for the little mini cliffhanger but it's time for me to go bed and sleep off an excess of pie...**

 **:)**


	5. On Friendship

**[AN] In which we get to know an important and intriguing new character, and a growing friendship cements itself a little more...**

 **P.S. - to the anonymous reviewer who left me such an amazing note on Burning Avatar (my one and only completed story), I can't even begin to say how much that meant to me. Whoever you are, if you're reading this your vote of confidence is super appreciated!**

* * *

 _And a youth said, "Speak to us of Friendship."_

 _Your friend is your needs answered._

 _He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving._

 _And he is your board and your fireside._

 _For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace…_

 _\- Khalil Gibran_

—

"Asami," I say carefully. "Where did that voice come from?"

She kneels next to the head of my bed, and with a grunt of effort slides out a large computer case, lights blinking along one side and a thick band of cables running out of it and disappearing from view. I squint at the lettering on the side.

"Future Industries Research, R.A.a.V.A. v-ten?" I look over at her.

"Regenerative Assistant and Virtual Augmentation, version ten." She pronounces this carefully and gives the top of the case a pat before standing up. "The fact that she's an artificial intelligence happened sort of by accident, but it's been a huge game changer. She doesn't need sleep and is able to talk directly to your nervous system."

"Whoa." The box doesn't look impressive enough for that, but I go with it. "But, um, how do you accidentally create an artificial intelligence?"

Asami sighs, and shakes her head. "A question I've asked myself many times. Unfortunately the answer is 'I still don't know.' I've been working on the software for this system for years, and made it be voice controllable because of all the times my hands would be occupied. After a while having it be able to talk back to me rather than look at a screen because even more useful, and somewhere along the way, she 'woke up'."

"Just like that?" I ask skeptically.

"Just like that, though I've never stopped trying to figure it out." She pauses and looks at me carefully. "The fact that she's a true AI is a really big secret by the way. Nobody knows about her besides me and now you. All anyone else knows is that I have a voice controlled interface into the system."

"Why tell me?" I ask in confusion.

She sits down in her chair and props her chin on her hand, her green eyes meeting mine again. "Well, you're trusting me with some pretty big stuff, so I feel it's only fair I return the favor. But there's an even bigger reason, which is it may help with your recovery if you know about her and can work with her directly rather than go through me. You probably don't realize this, but she's already doing a huge amount of good in helping maintain your mental state. "

"How?"

"She monitors your brain activity when you sleep, and can tell when you're having nightmares. She intervenes to help you through them."

"Holy shit. I think I've heard her." I blush hard, and she looks at me curiously. "I thought— I mean—" I stutter to an embarrassed halt. "I thought it was your voice."

"Well, I did use my voice patterns to create hers because it was easier," she said. "So that's not too surprising. Anyway, let's get to work. Lean back, please."

I settle back against my pillows and wait.

"Raava, I saw some weird numbers on the wrist readout. Would you be so kind as to take a look?"

"Scanning, Doctor Sato. Captain Korra, please try not to fidget."

"Hey," I protest. "I am _not_ a fidgeter."

I swear I hear a digitized version of a snort. "I could print you out a lot of paper to review that says otherwise." I sit as still as I can, ignoring the grin Asami is trying to suppress. "Diagnostics complete, Doctor Sato. Sending results to you now."

Asami sits back down in chair, staring intently at her computer screen.

"A sensor appears to be offline in the right knee, no other damage detected," the digital voice continues.

Asami harrumphs. "I think you're right. Go ahead and offline the nerves for that leg." She picks up a screwdriver and some kind of hand held sensor and walks back over to me. "Ready Raava?"

"The requisite systems have been disabled, Doctor Sato. Captain Korra, please remember what I said about fidgeting. Also, you may want to look away. Most humans would find this disturbing."

"Wait, what? What are you going to do?" I shy away from Asami as she reaches for my leg.

"I need to tweak something in your leg," she says matter of factly. "To do that, we're going to pop the access hatch. It's like the one on your wrist, just bigger. I think Raava is worried you're going to react poorly when you see this. I, on the other hand, think you're going to find it really interesting."

"Doctor Sato," says Raava. "You know how I feel about reckless guessing."

Asami smirked in the direction of the case holding the AI. "Yes, I do."

"Fifty bucks?"

"You're on."

My jaw drops. "You did not just make a bet about me with a computer."

"I am not a computer, Captain Korra. I am a sentient being who happens to live inside a computer. There is a difference."

There's a small popping sound and my gaze is automatically drawn towards the source. Asami is bent over my knee, the top of which has been opened up like a small door. Asami is moving the scanner slowly around, and finally makes a small sound of victory and sticks the screwdriver. _In my knee_. Then she starts to twist something. _She's poking a long sharp implement into my knee._

"That's—" I clear my throat. I'm starting to feel a bit dizzy. "That's weirdly cool."

Asami looks up, smiling, then the smile drops as she sees my face. "Korra, are you okay?"

I try to smile back, then look at my knee again. She's still got her hand on my knee's internals. My brain gives up, my eyes roll back in my head, and I'm gone.

—

"She did react poorly, Doctor Sato," I hear Raava say.

"She also thought it was interesting," Asami retorts. Her tone is amused.

"A draw?"

"Just this once."

I clear my throat. "What does a sentient being who lives in a computer do with the money she wins on bets anyway," I manage to rasp out.

"I buy shares of stock in Future Industries, of course," comes the digital reply. "Usually only one at a time given the small nature of our usual bets, but I like to take the long view."

Asami snorts. She's holding a cool damp cloth to my forehead while simultaneously holding my wrist in her hand, feeling my pulse. "How are you feeling?"

"A little woozy, to be honest. How long?"

"Just a few minutes." Her tone grows impish. "Thanks for not letting me lose."

"I aim to please." I struggle to sit up a bit. "So, am I at least all fixed down there now?"

She leans back, dropping the washcloth onto the counter near the sink. "All better, though it's embarrassing that I apparently didn't tighten things down as well as I should have when I installed everything."

I snort. "How many bolts connect all my parts anyway?"

Asami waves absently at the computer case. "Raava?"

"There are seven thousand six hundred and forty eight connection points." Raava informs me instantly. "Four thousand seven hundred and fifteen use bolts, the remaining two thousand nine hundred and thirty three points are rigid and use screws."

I blink.

"What type of metal is it?"

"Your replacement skeletal system is primarily made up of a proprietary titanium allow, with some parts consisting of a more traditional surgical steel. Your new blood vessels are a made of a bio-equivalent synthetic, also a proprietary material. Your nervous system is a fiber optics system encased in the same material."

"Proprietary to whom?"

"Future Industries Research, a biomedical subsidiary of Future Industries, headed by Doctor Asami Sato."

I look over at Asami in shock. She shrugs. "My dad probably spun me off for tax purposes, but it means I'm self-funded and I can't begun to tell you how much that simplifies my life."

"Your dad? You mean Hirosho Sato? Shit, I've spent the last six years of my life flying his fighters."

"His weapons division is his pride and joy. No lack of revenue for that business, I am sorry to say." Her voice is sad and her shoulders are slumped. It makes me want to give her a hug. Fortunately, she's too far away for me to reach so I avoid embarrassing myself.

She seems to shake herself. "But let's not talk about that right now. I'd rather talk about the fact that we're going to try and wake up Commander Kuvira today, and I have a feeling it will go better for all involved if you're able to be there." She looks at me hopefully.

"Are you kidding me? Of course I want to be there!" I immediately throw the blankets off again and go to swing my legs off the bed.

"Whoa there, Captain. You're getting a ride to her room. There will be no walking until tomorrow."

I force myself to stay seated. "What happens tomorrow?"

Asami smiles. "You're going to start physical therapy to learn how to use your new limbs."

My grin is so wide it makes my cheek hurt. "That's two great pieces of news in one day, Doc. Not sure I can take much more."

Asami smiles at my excitement, then crosses over to a small draw set into the wall. From it she draws a pair of black sweats and a gray t-shirt with SFC in big black letters across the chest, both standard work out gear for space fighter corps personnel.

"I though you might prefer to ditch the hospital gown."

I almost wriggle with excitement and hold out my hands eagerly. She hands me the clothes, then reaches behind me to start undoing the ties securing my gown. As it loosens I pull at it impatiently. Years of communal showering in the barracks leave me sans any worries of modesty and I'm soon sitting bare from the waist up struggling to get my prosthetic arm to cooperate.

"Let me, you haven't really practiced with your new arm yet," she murmurs, taking the shirt back.

Before she can put it on me, I stop her, now seeing what I hadn't before; a faint line that seemed to travel all the way around my shoulder. I look up and see her watching me, concern apparent on her face, but she says nothing, waiting for me to process on my own time. I run my finger along the seam, the boundary where my body ended and the prosthetic begins. There's the faintest ridge under my finger, and the feel of the skin on my arm is somehow different than my chest. It's cooler to my touch, the skin texture somehow foreign. As before, I can feel the faint sensation of something touching me in that arm, but it's still a muted, unfamiliar feeling. I scowl at it, then at Asami.

"Is it always going to feel weird like that?"

She shakes her head. "As part of of your physical therapy, Raava will be able to start working with you to refine the settings. When we're done, it should feel the same as before your injury, or close enough for your brain to feel comfortable with it."

Raava speaks up at this. "I suspect I am going to find Captain Korra to be both a motivated yet difficult patient."

"What do you mean?" I demand, peering around to glare at the computer case.

If it's possible for a digitized voice to have a sarcastic tone, she has one. "You strike me as stubborn person."

"Hey!"

Asami coughs into her hand, trying to hide her laugh.

I ignore this and grasp onto something she had said earlier. "You said you've never installed this much hardware on a human before. But there are other people who have at least some of what I have?"

She nods. "I've done three legs, four arms, and two hands. You're my first eye, and my second with more than one prosthetic. The nervous system response has improved with each generation of improvements, but even my first patients are reporting an excellent quality of life."

She's blushing and looking nervously at the floor.

"You okay, Doc?" I ask her curiously.

She nods quickly, still not quite looking at me. She gestures awkwardly with the t-shirt still in her hands, and I finally realize it's my bare chest she's reacting to. I smirk, thinking quickly. With my good hand I push up under my prosthetic arm; the little extra help is apparently enough for me to be able to raise it over my head and keep it there.

"Ready for the shirt!"

Her eyes snap up, and I seem them travel up my torso before she hurriedly works the shirt over my arms and head, covering me up in the modest gray cotton. I bite my lip in amusement. Despite all that's happened to me I'm still as hot-blooded as the next fighter pilot, and getting an ogle from a beautiful woman, no matter how small, is a nice pick me up.

"Thanks, Doc." I'm proud that I'm able to keep my voice even, without a hint of anything suggestive.

"Do you need help with the pants?" she asks, seemingly unnerved by the prospect. I manage to get the pants on, both to save her from further discomfort as well as my own pride, though it's awkward and I'm swearing irritably under my breath by the time I'm done. She steps out briefly and comes back with a wheelchair that I manage to get myself into with a minimum of assistance. I watch without comment as she carefully locks the door behind her when we exit. It appears to involve a fairly elaborate security system, but knowing what I now do about Raava, I'm not surprised Asami wants to make sure nobody is going to get in there without her express approval.

It's the first time I've been out of my room in almost two months. Despite feeling mortified at having to be pushed like an invalid I'm grinning like an idiot, waving at the nurses as I roll by.

"So why only Kuvira and not Bolin?" I ask as we turn into a new corridor. "And how come both of them took longer than me to wake up?"

"The majority of your challenges were due to physical injuries to your limbs and then the trauma you suffered due to the blood loss. These are significant challenges, but fortunately well understood ones. Frankly, the fact that most of damaged parts of your body had to be removed means your body doesn't have to heal them so it's working less hard, if that makes sense. In Kuvira's case, her suit was damaged and depressurized when she evacuated her cockpit, so she had more generalized damage due to that, in addition to the physical damage she took when her fighter was destroyed."

"So, she's got two new legs like me?"

"Just one. And a new hand," Asami replied. "Her other leg wasn't as badly damaged so we've decided to just let it heal. However, Raava has been monitoring her carefully and feels her brain function is now back within normal ranges, and her physical healing has progressed quite nicely."

We arrive at a partially open door, and I hear quiet conversation coming from inside. Asami reaches forward to open the door enough to allow my chair to pass through, and the first thing I see is Opal and Jinora lounging in chairs on either side of a hospital bed.

"Boss would kick your asses if she saw you propping your feet on her bed like that."

They look up, and I see the delight on their faces that I know matches mine.

"Captain!"

"You're out of bed!"

They both scramble up and rush over to me. I laugh as I'm tackled into the back of my chair.

"Ladies," pleads Asami behind me. "Please try not to break her after all my hard work putting her back together again."

"Who is she calling a lady, Avatar?" scoffs Opal.

Jinora punches Opal in the shoulder. "Certainly not you, but I think I might still qualify."

Asami wheels me next to Kuvira's bed, and I get my first look at her. Her right arm is swathed in bandages, and what exposed flesh I can see holds the remnants of severe bruising, pale yellows and greens. A flash of light behind her ear catches my attention, and I look up at Asami. She taps my implant, and I now understand Kuvira has one too.

"I prefer to put them at the back of the skull when I can, but yours is where it's at because of what I had to do to repair the damage to your eye."

Kuvira's long hair obscures it, but now I see she has her own black cable plugged in so that Raava can do her thing. Because Opal and Jinora are with us, I ask no further questions, but instead simply take Kuvira's un-bandaged hand and and give it a firm squeeze.

"Time to wake up, Boss. Your Bitches are waiting for you."

* * *

 **I've never written an AI character before, and I have to say it's a bit intimidating...**


	6. And We'll Not Fail

**[AN]** **Oh man, I am totally loving all the guessing and suggestions and just general audience participation you guys are bringing! Makes this a really fun process, and I'm really curious to see what you guys are going to think after this latest installment...**

 **:)**

 **Thundercatroar - I seriously cracked up for a good five minutes ready your comment, and I can safely promise I'm not going put light sensor's in Korra's rack...**

* * *

 _Macbeth:  
If we should fail?_

 _Lady Macbeth:  
We fail?  
But screw your courage to the sticking place,  
And we'll not fail._

 _-William Shakespeare_

—

Opal and Jinora stand next to me as we watch Asami check various things on her computer. She's been joined by a smaller woman who was introduced as Doctor Moon and is apparently one of Asami's assistants. They continue to confer for another few minutes, then Asami finally picks up a small syringe and injects it into Kuvira's IV line.

"Okay, Commander, let's see how you like this."

We lean forward, intently watching for any change from the still form on the bed. On a regular day, Kuvira is never still. Even at critical mission briefings she was notorious for twirling pens around her fingers, or walking coins across her knuckles. She's always been full of restless energy, and seeing her motionless on her bed is truly jarring.

A few more minutes pass, then I see her eyelashes flutter and a furrow appear on her brow. Her fingers start twitching in my hand and I grip them tightly.

"Hey Boss," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "You overslept. Mad and Wee are here and we're waiting for you to get your ass out of bed so we can go bar hopping."

Jinora giggles and Opal rolls her eyes.

"Don't listen to her, Boss," retorts Opal. "She's really waiting for you to get up so we can all go get pedicures."

"Cap always did have a foot fetish," Kuvira whispers. She opens her eyes and looks around blearily. "Where the fuck am I?"

I chuckle at this very Kuvira reaction. "You're in the hospital, Boss. We saved the universe again, but I admit we got our asses handed to us a bit in the process."

Kuvira groans. "Shit, this feels worse than that time Ironman bet me I couldn't do six shots of whiskey and a hundred pushups in five minutes."

I react before I can stop myself. Even in her current state, Kuvira catches it, and she frowns.

"He didn't make it, did he?"

"No," I whisper. "Macho's gone too."

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "My Bitches?"

"We're both here, Boss," says Jinora softly, stepping forward. "We're okay."

"Oh thank fuck," she mutters. She pulls her hand from mine and makes a fist. Opal and Jinora immediately bump hers with their own. Her eyes open again snd she stares at me. "Little Mouse?"

To my relief, Asami steps forward.

"Hello Commander Kuvira, I'm Doctor Sato. Ensign Bolin is next door. He suffered severe head trauma resulting in significant swelling of the brain. He is undergoing a fairly aggressive treatment while in a maintained coma, and while we were initially hopeful that we could have woken him up before now we're being extremely conservative about his recovery and we don't think he's quite ready."

My jaw snaps shut and I school my features quickly. I realize she hadn't had a chance to catch me up on Bolin's status before we got to the room, and I see her looking at me apologetically.

I shake my head, slumping a little. "Thanks, Doc," I say quietly. "I'm pretty sure he couldn't be in better hands."

I see her eyes get shiny again and my hand twitches with a repressed urge to reach out to her. She turns quickly aside and makes a point of checking her computer screen. After a few moments of surreptitiously regaining her composure, she returns with Doctor Moon in tow.

"Commander, this is my associate Doctor Moon. She is extremely familiar with your type of injuries and is going to be your primary physician overseeing your rehabilitation."

Doctor Moon smiles nervously and nods her head. "I look forward to working with you, Commander."

Kuvira waves her unbandaged arm irritably. "Well, let's get this off to a good start by agreeing to not call me Commander Fucking Kuvira, like ever again, okay Doc? Cause that's gonna drive me nuts."

Doctor Moon instantly pales and she looks helplessly at Asami. Surprisingly, Asami seems to take this in stride. "We can refer to you however you like."

Kuvira manages a tired grin. "Just call me Kuvira for now. If we can tolerate each other long enough, maybe you can start calling me Boss." Her eyes starts to close. "Fuck, I'm tired. I would kill for some coffee."

Doctor Moon straightens instantly. "I'm afraid that caffeinated beverages are off the menu for a while, Comm—Kuvira."

"As are alcoholic beverages," Asami adds, a knowing twinkle in her eye.

Kuvira sighs. "What kind of shithole have you stuck me in, Cap?" She's starting to slur her words from fatigue.

"Sorry, Boss," I say quietly. "The second the docs say okay, drinks are totally on me."

She doesn't reply, her face going slack in sleep.

Jinora reaches over and pulls the blanket up more firmly across her chest. "Welcome back, Boss," she whispers. She gives the two doctors a hard look. "She's really going to be okay, right?"

Asami nods. "I don't like to use the word guarantee as a general rule, but I'm fairly confident she's going to make a full recovery, and so is Captain Korra, here."

"What about Bolin?" Opal asks, looking at Asami with a pleading expression.

I see Asami hesitate, and I instantly tense up in anticipation of bad news.

"I won't lie to you," she says slowly. "His brain injuries are severe, the most extreme of any patient I've yet treated." She pulls another chair around and faces Opal. "But I can promise you that we will exhaust all possible options for recovery." She starts to reach out, hesitates briefly, then seems to steel herself and grip Opal's hand, waiting until the Ensign meets her gaze. "I promise you. I won't give up."

—

I push the remains of my dinner away, noticing that Asami still hasn't touched hers. She's been staring at her computer screen for hours, occasionally talking to Raava. I have a feeling I know what's going on.

"Asami."

"Hrm?" She drags her gaze over to me, clearly distracted. "Did you need something, Captain?"

"Yeah, I need you to come here a second."

She blinks, but rises and crosses over to my bed. I gesture for her to sit down next to me. Now that it's just the two of us I don't hesitate to reach and take her hand in mine.

"The fact that Bolin is still under is not your fault."

Her head jerks around and she stares at me wide-eyed, then immediately drops her gaze.

"I don't understand. All of his initial scans were very clear on the areas of damage, and we should have been able to affect significant repair by now! The protocols Raava uses have never failed before—" She trails off. "More than anything I'm afraid that I'll have lied to Ensign Opal, that my best won't be good enough." Her voice is shaking with emotion, and I can feel her trembling.

I hear a quiet click beneath me.

"Doctor Sato, I have the latest reports you requested," intones Raava. "His occurrences of REM states have increased over sixty percent in the past twelve days, which indicates an emergence from the coma. However his incidence rate of proxysmal parasomnia has also increased dramatically, despite our efforts at countermeasures."

"Proxy-para-what?" I ask.

"Proxysmal parasomnia refers to sudden negative psychological events while sleeping," explains Raava.

I look at Asami with raised eyebrows.

"Nightmares or night terrors," Asami supplies.

I make a face. "Why couldn't you just say that," I complain.

"I did say that, Captain Korra," says Raava, and I swear she's getting huffy at me.

I grin at the thought that I've aggravated a computer, or as I mentally self-correct: a sentient being that lives in a computer.

"So to be clear, the more he comes out of the coma, the more nightmares he gets."

"I said that also, Captain Korra."

I smirk, then I turn to Asami. "This is probably stupid," I begin. "But, you have our files, so you know Bolin and Mako are brothers, right?"

She nods, her head cocked while she waits for me to complete my thought.

"And you probably also know they're orphans — they were it for each other, family-wise. There was nobody in the galaxy Bolin loved more than his big brother, and his big brother died right in front of him. He was trying to save him and he failed."

Asami's eyes start to widen as she sees where I'm going with this.

"I know what that feels like." My voice drops. "I have to remind myself at least twice a day that I did all I could, that I have a responsibility to the survivors that's bigger than the burden I bear for those I lost." I angrily wipe the tears I feel on my cheeks. "But Bolin, he's just a goofy kid whose whole world was destroyed. He probably doesn't feel he has anything else to hang on to. We have to give him something."

"Captain Korra, I'm not sure I understand what you're suggesting," says Raava. "The traumatic brain injury protocols have worked on six patients thus far, including yourself."

"Raava," I sigh. "I hate to break this to you, but not all humans are alike."

Now I _know_ I've made the AI huffy. "I am fully aware of this fact, Captain Korra. At a molecular level the DNA—"

"No, Raava. I'm not just talking biology here. It's—" I pause, searching for the right word.

"The ineffability of the human condition," Asami says quietly. I glance over at her, and see that she's looking at where are hands are still clasped together, apparently deep in thought.

"If that means that humans are complicated, then yeah, something like that," I say, smiling slightly.

"Ineffability refers to the state of being incapable of being expressed or described in words," responds Raava. It's like the AI can't bear to leave anything undefined. It sort of reminds me of Colonel Tenzin. "It is often used in religious contexts in reference to a form of deity."

"Don't know about that," I drawl. "But it's definitely something that can happen with people too."

Asami's eyes suddenly light up, and she presses a quick kiss to my knuckles before releasing my hand and hurrying back to her desk.

"Korra, you're a genius! Raava, bring up the code for the TBI treatment protocols. I have an idea."

"Certainly, Doctor Sato. Please stand by."

I stare at my hand in shock, then sneak a peek at where Asami is putting her hair up in a bun with a pen while calling out inscrutable technical instructions rapid-fire to Raava. I desperately want to know if Asami even realizes she's kissed me, but I'm sure as hell not going to interrupt what she's trying to do now, for Bolin. I let my head rest on my pillow, watching the doctor pace around her desk, switching directions frequently and gesticulating wildly with her hands. Raava interjects periodically and somehow despite, or maybe because of, the constant drone of their voices I fall asleep, Asami's kiss a lingering tingle on the back of my hand.

* * *

 **Notes:**

 **Did I mention I was planning on having some fun with my version of Kuvira? Well, I am...**


	7. Those Who Can Smile In Trouble

**[AN] Okay, so I called in sick today because I came down with the plague, but that means I was actually able to knock out a new chapter about a week earlier than I would have normally, so here you go...**

* * *

 _I love those who can smile in trouble,_

 _who can gather strength from distress,_

 _and grow brave by reflection._

 _'Tis the business of little minds to shrink,_

 _but they whose heart is firm,_

 _and whose conscience approves their conduct,_

 _will pursue their principles unto death._

 _\- Leonardo da Vinci_

—

Kuvira, surprising Doctor Moon but no one else, has taken the news of her new limbs in total stride. In fact, she's immediately started pestering her increasingly flustered doctor about making additional enhancements during our daily physio sessions, for things like a hidden knife sheath, or laser sights, or any other neat toy she can think of. I know she's mostly proposing all these crazy things to get a rise out of the very prim and proper physician, and I generally enjoy their little spats way too much to say anything. It's all in good fun, after all.

However, right now poor Doctor Moon has apparently gone beyond flustered into aggravated.

"Kuvira!" I hear her shout. "I am not going to replace your finger with a gun barrel!"

I look up from where I'm laboring between the parallel bars, practicing my walking gait. One of my new legs starts above my knee, and the other goes all the way up to a partially rebuilt pelvis. Right now walking is a constant cycle of my attempts to gracefully put one foot in front of the other, which results in many pages of readouts, leading to Raava (and sometimes Asami) making subsequent adjustments to the prosthetic system. A longer than normal cable has been taped to me so I don't accidentally pull it out, and it winds its way over to where Raava's host computer sits on a little cart, halfway between myself and Kuvira. She's got her own cable as well, but given how simple her setup is compared to mine, she's progressing much faster as far as the artificial parts go. However, her remaining leg is still going to require quite a bit of rehab because of all the damage it took. We've spent days in this new, large room, surrounded by exercise equipment, massage tables, and other sundry things I can't identify. Kuvira declared it the Torture Room on her second day. I don't disagree but it beats the hell out of being stuck in my room all now she's grimacing through a set of weighted leg extensions, and I suspect she's come up with another outlandish idea to torment poor Doctor Moon as a distraction.

"Oh, come on Doc," she whines, grinning. "Don't you have any sense of adventure in your soul?"

I see Doctor Moon grit her teeth. "My sense of adventure does not involve weapons, thank you."

"The ultimate in discrete self-defense then, for the next time you're in a divey bar."

I start laughing, gripping the bars hard so I don't fall over.

"Boss," I chortle. "Would you stop torturing her? Like she's ever going to go to a low class place." I give a conspiratal look to the doctor. "Just threaten to start calling her Commander again. That ought to shut her up."

She nods, a small curl to her lips. "I see. You are suggesting I need to, what's the phrase? 'Give as good as I get.'"

I nod, smirking at Kuvira. "You got it, Doc. Fighter pilots aren't a polite bunch for the most part. Sometimes you have to smack us around a little to keep us line."

At that moment, the door locks click open and Asami strolls into the therapy room. She apparently catches my comment because she gives me a quick look and then blushes.

"I see we're all having fun today," she says.

"Oh yeah, always a party in here," Kuvira gripes. "I love leg lifts."

Asami's mouth twitches. "Well, I hate to break up a party, but you have a visitor."

I blink as Asami steps aside to allow Fleet Admiral Izumi to enter the room. Instantly Kuvira and I are standing at attention with crisp salutes in place as the two doctors step back.

The admiral returns the salute. "At ease, pilots," she murmurs.

I drop my hand back down to the bar thankfully, feeling a little wobbly.

"Captain Korra, it's good to see you on your feet, given what I'm told the damage was."

"Yes, ma'am. I'm pretty sure Doctor Sato is some kind of mad genius wizard, with all this cool stuff she's hooked up to us."

She scrutinizes my hands, then points at the new one. "May I?"

"Of course, ma'am!" My new arm is working much better after days of tweaking, and I have no problem holding out my hand for the admiral to examine. She takes it carefully, turning it over in her hands, brushing her fingers over my palm. I bite back a giggle and she raises one eyebrow.

"Sorry, ma'am. That tickles."

Now both eyebrows shoot up. "Fascinating. Truly remarkable technology, Doctor Sato."

Asami beams. "Thank you, Admiral!"

The admiral smiles and turns to Kuvira. "New hand and new leg, Commander?"

Kuvira shrugs. "That's what they tell me, ma'am."

I roll my eyes but Izumi merely chuckles. "I see your notoriety is well earned, Commander." She turns back to me. "My son spoke often of his affection for his squadron, Captain, and your leadership in particular."

"It was my honor and privilege to know him, Admiral," I said thickly, struggling to keep my emotions at bay but feeling the tears threatening. "He was a great pilot and a dear friend. I'm so sorry I couldn't bring him home. I'm so, so sorry—" I can no longer hold back the tears, and I let my head drop, my body shaking from holding back my sobs.

Suddenly, I feel arms around me, the coarse material against my cheek letting me know it's the Admiral herself who's comforting me. I struggle to recover my composure, and after a few moments I straighten up and she steps back, still keeping one hand gripped on my shoulder.

"There's no shame in sorrow, Captain," she said, her eyes bright. She gives me little a little shake for emphasis, her eyes narrowed shrewdly. "And no dishonor for surviving when he did not."

I swallow hard and nod.

"Tomorrow is the memorial for my son and Lieutenant Mako. Doctor Sato, will they be able to attend?"

"Yes, Admiral. That will be no problem."

"I'll ensure their dress blues are brought here this evening and transport will be provided tomorrow." She peers at the doctor, a faint smile on her lips. "On behalf of the Space Fighter Corps and Armed Forces of the United Republic, I must thank you for your amazing level of care for my pilots, Doctor Sato. I hope to see you tomorrow as well?"

"Of course," Asami says quickly. "I would be honored to be there."

"Until tomorrow then." The admiral turns back to face Kuvira and I, and we spring to attention once more, salutes at the ready. She returns the gesture, then leaves. The door clicks softly into place behind her, and I blow out my breath. Asami is at my side in an instant.

"Time to get you off your feet, Captain," she says softly.

Kuvira is being helped into her wheelchair by Doctor Moon. "We're a couple of candy-asses, hey Cap?"

"That's the truth. At least we didn't fall over while the Admiral was here."

"Copy that. She'd have smacked us in disgust."

Asami chuckles as she helps me into my own wheelchair. "She doesn't seem like the type."

"Don't you let her polite visit fool you," I say, groaning a little at the ache in my abdominal muscles. "She was a pilot too, and still holds the record for the most total kills in the history of the Space Fighter Corps, as well as most kills in a single battle. She's brought grown men to tears with a look. Iroh told us some amazing stories about her."

"Gonna really miss those assholes," Kuvira sighs. "I hate that I won't be able to kick their tails for making me shove myself into my dress uniform."

I snort. "You'll survive, you big baby."

She looks at me seriously. "We both will."

I meet her gaze, and for once there's no mockery on her face. "Yeah, we will."

—

I feel like it should be raining on such a day, like the world should be crying at the funeral of my two friends, my brother pilots. Instead the sun is shining brightly, glinting off the horn of the bugler playing Taps. I'm standing at attention next to Asami, one hand on her shoulder to help keep me steady. Opal and Jinora flank Kuvira, Opal discretely holding an arm out for Kuvira to lean on. Around us stretch lush green lawns dotted with gleaming white tombstones, the final resting place of all who gave their final duty in defense of the United Republic.

I give Asami a nudge and when she looks over at me I nod my head towards the sky. She looks up, and as the last note of the bugle fades away, a formation of Fighters roars overhead. They're in spear formation in honor of our skirmish, and as they pass by the last two fighters peel off, representing Mako and Iroh, Macho and Ironman, flying into the sun and disappearing from sight.

Admiral Izumi lays a hand on Iroh's casket, her head bowed. Then she turns and starts walking towards us, handing off the flag she'd been presented with to her adjutant. The flag from Mako's casket is under Asami's arm so that she can take it to Bolin.

To my surprise, the rest of the funeral party turns and comes to face us from behind the admiral. I glance sideways at Kuvira and she shrugs imperceptibly. We're not sure what's going on. The Sergeant-Major on Izumi's left steps up.

"Attention!"

Spines snap straight everywhere.

"The Fire Ferrets squadron has a short history, but an illustrious one," the admiral declares. "It seems only fitting that this ceremony take place here and now, in the presence of two who did honor to their squadron and our Republic with their actions, and gave their lives in defense of it." She gestures at the Sergeant-Major, who holds out an open box.

"Ensign Opal, Ensign Jinora, step forward."

With a look of wonder, they immediately obey. From the box Izumi pulls two sets of Lieutenant's bars and affixes them to their collars.

"Well done, Lieutenants."

They snap hurried salutes and both step back, shock clear on their faces.

"Lieutenant Kuvira."

Kuvira waves off Opal's subtle preferring of an arm and steps forward, her face determined. Izumi affixes the double bars of a Captain to Kuvira's collar.

"Well done, Captain."

Kuvira salutes and steps back and I see Jinora and Opal both reach out hands to steady her. I hide a smile, knowing that under different circumstances she'd smack them both for their hovering.

"Captain Korra."

I take a deep breath and release Asami's shoulder, taking a careful step forward.

The admiral gives me a long look, then reaches out and fixes the golden oak leaf inisgnia to my collar.

"Well done, Major," she says softly. "And thank you."

I snap my salute and step back, immediately feeling Asami's arm on my elbow.

"Company, present!" the Sargeant-Major bellows, and the salutes fly up. "Company, dismissed!"

The crowd quietly disperses, but the admiral remains standing nearby. "Ensign Bolin's promotion ceremony will happen when he recovers," Izumi tells me, and I feel a rush of gratefulness that she's said 'when' and not 'if.' She waves her adjutant up to join us, and he hands her a bottle. "This is an important tradition as you're well aware, but I have a feeling the good doctor is going to have something to say about the timing of its use." She hands me the bottle, the rich amber liquid inside making my mouth water. Asami's hand immediately covers mine, and she deftly removes the bottle from my grip.

"When I can actually allow them to drink this, they'll have more than one reason to celebrate," she declares, giving me a stern look.

The admiral chuckles, and pats Asami on the arm. "I thought as much, Doctor Sato. Please keep me appraised of their recovery, and let me now if there are any more difficulties, as we discussed."

"Thank you, Admiral," she says gratefully. "I'll have a full report on your desk by the end of the week. But now, I need to get your pilots back to the hospital."

With a final flurry of salutes, we depart. The Bitches commandeer the larger of the two cars the Admiral has provided for us, already teasing the flustered Private assigned to drive them. As I sink into the cushions of the second car I realize just how exhausted I am and I close my eyes, letting my head fall back against the seat. Asami slides in next to me, touching my leg.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay, just beat."

She nods. "I'm not surprised." She hesitates. "Cap-Major, I feel like I need to apologize."

My eyes snap open and look over at her in surprise.

"What for?" I demand.

"The other day," she hesitates, then continues in a rush. "I realized that I behaved very unprofessionally towards you, but I can assure you that it won't happen again, and I hope that it won't affect your confidence in me as your doctor."

I look at her blankly. "Asami, what are you talking about?"

"I kissed your hand," she blurts. "I'm so sorry, Korra. I don't know what I was thinking—"

I press my lips to hers firmly, brushing her cheek with my thumb. Hey eyes widen in shock, but her lips are so soft against mine, and so sweet.

"There," I breathe softly. "Now we're even."

* * *

 **Eternalmetalhead, hope that kiss didn't come to early for you... :)**


	8. The Road Goes Ever On and On

**[AN] To quote Samuel L Jackson:**

 **"Hold on to yer butts!"**

* * *

 _The Road goes ever on and on_

 _Down from the door where it began._

 _Now far ahead the Road has gone,_

 _And I must follow, if I can,_

 _Pursuing it with eager feet,_

 _Until it joins some larger way_

 _Where many paths and errands meet._

 _And whither then? I cannot say._

 _-J.R.R. Tolkien_

—

Kuvira and I have progressed well enough with our physical therapy that Doctor Moon has us now running increasing challenging obstacle courses, both to ensure we're recovering all of original fitness as well as allowing she and Asami the data needed for the final tuning of our prosthetics. To do this Asami had to finally bite the bullet and install wireless receiver transmitter units into us so that the R.A.a.V.A. system could still work without being physically attached to a cable. I get why she's nervous; somebody could theoretically 'hack' our system remotely. I'm not too worried about it, though. I'm pretty sure nobody is smart enough to beat a security protocol Asami designed. Also, as she periodically reminds Asami, Raava doesn't need sleep and is sensitive about any such incursions. Regardless of their security fears, not having a cable plugged into the side of my head is awesome.

Being that it involves me and Kuvira, there is of course fierce competition between us as far as running times on the obstacle courses. Being that it also involves Opal and Jinora as spectators, there is some fierce betting involved. Asami just rolls her eyes at us, but I know she's thrilled at our progress because she never stops smiling.

Since our kiss in the car she's worked hard to maintain our doctor-patient relationship, insisting that it would be a horrendous breach of ethics for her to engage with me in any fun way, despite the teasing charm I throw at her on occasion. I just smile and nod, give myself a mental pat on the back whenever I successfully fluster her, and think about how I'm going to ask out when I'm finally discharged.

I've at least managed to convince her that I'm well enough for her to go home at least once a week. After grudgingly agreement, she proceeded to put together a fairly elaborate security scheme for securing the R.A.a.V.A. case (and Raava herself), which was frankly made easier by the fact that we're now wirelessly connected to her. Since the memorial we've seen no sign of Colonel Tarrlok but Asami is taking no chances, especially now that Admiral Izumi has written her recommendation to High Command that Asami and her team be given permission to expand her program.

Today it's just me in the Torture Room. Kuvira got a pass to leave the hospital for the afternoon with her Bitches, though Asami promised a lingering death to all three of them if Kuvira got into any trouble. I don't have high hopes, but I also know Kuvira needs the break. I'm pretty sure she would kill somebody otherwise. Or Doctor Moon would kill her. Either way.

"Okay, so I didn't want to try this out with you with Kuvira around, because I know she'd start pestering me for one," says Asami after she's shut the door behind us.

"Ooh," I reply with a grin. "Do I have a new toy?"

She throws me a look, then shakes her head. "It's actually been there all along, but I've never activated it."

I raise my eyebrow. "Oh, really. What is it?"

She hesitates, then says. "It's a HUD."

"What, seriously? That's awesome!"

HUD stands for 'Head's Up Display', which is an invaluable tool for a fighter pilot. It's a mostly transparent display that's overlaid on top of wherever you're looking, so you can get information without having to look down at your console. Fighter pilots are very, very attached to them.

Asami purses her lip. "I'll be honest, when I first designed your HUD, I was thinking in terms of your familiarity with such a system, and as a safeguard against any deterioration of your remaining eye." She looks at me with such earnestness that I want to pull her into a hug and kiss her until she can't breathe. I settle for bumping her softly in the shoulder.

"But?"

She sighs, and nods. "It also makes me a feel a little uncomfortable that it leans a bit too far towards the 'weaponization' direction."

"Are you going to replace one of my fingers with a gun barrel?"

"What? Of course not!"

"How about a rocket launcher in my toes?"

"Korra!"

I smirk at her. "Then you shouldn't have to worry about the military potential of this."

She gives me a look that speaks volumes about my ability to drive her crazy, and I give myself another mental pat on the back. She pushes me gently into a chair and I gulp when she straddles my ankles, lifting my hand up to touch the implant on my temple.

"Do you feel these spots here?"

"Yeah?"

"Press and hold these and you should see something pop up in your left eye."

I do as she instructs, and suddenly I see a small overlay pop up in my left eye. It's a little disconcerting, to say the least.

"Tap it again to cycle through a couple of different settings. Pressing and holding will turn it back off."

"This is so cool! How many settings are there?"

"At the moment, there are only three activated, comms, grid and heat. There's a fourth that came along with the software I based our HUD off of, so it's more tactical in nature, target sights and what not." She grimaced. "But as we agreed, not really necessary for you. The comms setting will allow Raava to send you message even if she doesn't have access to a speaker system near you."

I tapped repeatedly between the various settings, letting my gaze roam around the room. I pause in comms mode, curious. "Hey Raava, do you read me?"

Her reply flashes into view.

YOU ARE NOT A BOOK, MAJOR KORRA, BUT I CAN HEAR YOU.

I snicker.

"This is really cool, though it's kind of weird that I only see it on one eye."

Asami grinned. "Well, I'm not going to replace your good eye with another prosthetic, though I have a strong feeling Kuvira might try to demand one when she hears about this."

"I think so too." I cover my good eye with my hand and switch it back to heat mode. Without my brain having my regular vision to blend with, the heat mode of the HUD is more vibrant. Asami's body in particular ranges from pale red to bright white, her body's heat signature acutely visible even under her clothes, and my gaze slowly travels that outline. After a long moment I realize I've been staring at her way too long and I hastily turn the HUD off while uncovering my good eye. She's looking at me with a raised eyebrow, a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Um, sorry about that," I manage, embarrassed. "That's pretty amazing."

"You'll have to thank Doctor Moon as well — she did extensive research on the optic nerve and related brain function during her residency, and was a huge help in the design of your new eye. It's why I recruited her, actually."

"I thought I'd see her here, actually," I respond, looking around. "She said she had a new set of workouts for me to do. Does she have the day off or something?"

"Now that you mention it, I was expecting to her here today also," says Asami, frowning. "She recently let slip that she has a new boyfriend, but it hasn't affected her work in any way, and apparently he's just as busy as she is."

"Must be a torrid affair, then."

I expect the eye roll and am not disappointed. "Really, Korra. Just because—"

There's a frantic pounding at the door.

"Doctor Sato! Are you in there?"

She hurries over and throws the door open. Before her is one of the hospital security guards, looking spooked.

"Please come quickly!" He turns and sprints off, Asami and I hot on his heels. We pass by Kuvira's room, still empty as the Bitches haven't returned yet. In front of us, three more guards stand in front of Bolin's room, looking grave.

"Oh my god!" I hear Asami burst out. I skid to a stop beside her, and my jaw drops at the sight.

Bolin's bed is empty, the remnants of his IV lines thrown haphazardly against the wall behind his bed. Slumped against the wall near the door is the still form of Doctor Moon. There are medical staff already attending to her, but I can see blood dripping down the side of her face onto her lab coat, and she is deathly pale.

Asami kneels quickly next to one of the nurses.

"What happened?" she demands.

"We don't know!" the nurse responds, her voice tight with distress. "The monitor alarms for Ensign Bolin went off at the nurses station, and Doctor Moon happened to be standing there reviewing his chart. She told us she'd go check on him, but when she didn't come back, we came down to see if she needed any help. We found the room like this!"

Asami's face is ashen, and she whirls towards the guards. "Did anyone review the security footage yet?"

"They're being reviewed right now," he says, one hand pressed to his ear piece.

I'm looking at Doctor Moon, still in shock at what's happened to her, then I see her eyelids flutter.

"Doctor Sato," she whispers.

Asami is at her side in an instant. "Doctor Moon! Zhu Li! What happened to you? Where is Ensign Bolin?"

"They took him. There were starting to wheel him out when I got here."

Asami pats her hand comfortingly. "Who took him, Zhu Li?"

Doctor Moon takes a gasping breath. "Colonel Tarrlok and his men."

I look sharply at the security guard with the ear piece His face has paled — apparently he's hearing this confirmed from whoever is reviewing the hospital's security footage.

"Why the hell would they take him?" I demand, fear a hard pit in my stomach.

Doctor Moon grips desperately at Asami's sleeve. "I tried to stop them, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

Asami shakes her head. "This is not your fault—"

"Doctor, listen," she insists, though her voice is growing weaker. "My new boyfriend was with him. He's been asking me questions about our research. He's in a similar field, and I thought he was just curious. I think he was just with me to have an opportunity to steal our data and hardware!" She's sobbing now, her breath raspy in her throat. "I was such a fool!"

"Doctor Sato," interjects the guard. "Is anything else missing?"

Asami stands up and hurries over to pull Bolin's bed away from the wall. Behind the bed I can see a steel door has been opened with a torch, the scorch marks edging a rough hole in the wall.

"We had one of our R.A.a.V.A systems in here. It's gone. It should have been nearly impossible to access the case, but apparently somebody knew the extant of our security measures."

My eyes grow wide and I try to catch Asami's gaze. She seems to know what I'm asking and shakes her head subtly. I relax slightly, despite my fear. Raava wasn't hosted in the case in Bolin's room, so her case must still be in mine. That thought suddenly chills me, and I turn and start racing back down the corridor towards my room, calling at the guards to come with me.

As I round the corner I hear shouting and I see the Bitches struggling with a group of men in black coveralls, an acetylene torch discarded on the floor.

"Mother fucking shit stains!" Korra roars, her face mottled with fury. She swings her new hand around and crunches one man in the throat and he immediately collapses. Opal has another man in a choke hold before making a tight hard twist with her arm and dropping him to the floor. Just as I'm about to help Jinora with her opponent, she manages to get her knee into his goolies and when he doubles over she lands a hard elbow to the back of his neck.

I have always said that one doesn't fuck with the Bitches, but apparently these guys did not get that memo. The security guards that came with me take custody of the downed men, one youthful looking guard looking on in awe at the three pilots standing over them.

"Status, Captain," I say with a tight grin.

Kuvira blinks, still not used to her new rank, then she gives Opal and Jinora a quick once over to ensure they're all in one piece before giving me a tight grin. "Caught these assholes trying to break into your room, _Major_ ," she growls. "We were bringing you some french fries, but you probably don't want them now."

I look down, and notice squished remains of potato scattered on the floor. I sigh heavily.

"Also, remind me to thank the Doc for my new hand. I fucking _love_ this thing." She holds up her hand, wiggling her fingers happily.

I'm relieved that they're all in one piece but worried about the AI. I turn on my new HUD and tap over to comms mode. To my immense relief, a message pops up almost instantly.

SOMEONE IS ATTEMPTING TO ACCESS DOCTOR SATO'S OFFICE.

I hesitate on how best to reply without alerting anyone else that I'm talking to Raava. I hope the AI has at least some clue on the concept of inference. "Well, nice job keeping these idiots out of my room, because I left my panties drying and you know how I get about my lace."

Kuvira lets out a bark of laughter. "The only lace panties you've ever seen are trophies you shove in your pocket."

YOU DO NOT HAVE LACE PANTIES, MAJOR. I AM SURMISING THIS IS AN ATTEMPT AT HUMOR. I WILL TAKE FROM YOUR COMMENT THAT THE THREAT HAS BEEN NEUTRALIZED.

I hear my name called and turn to see Asami hurrying up to me, two more security guards in tow. Her face is pale but determined. "I've alerted Admiral Izumi about the security breach. The fact that Colonel Tarrlok appears to be involved has caused the Admiral to put the entire base on lockdown. She's on her way over to us now with an additional security detail."

She turns to the remaining security guards. "Please arrange to have security on this room as well as Captain Kuvira's, Ensign Bolin's, and Doctor Moon's, once she's out of surgery."

Kuvira looks at me sharply, her eyes questioning. I nod gravely and I see her face go hard.

"I told Admiral Izumi to meet us in the rehab room, since it's the largest room that has the my extra door security," continues Asami. "We might as well head there now."

I catch Asami's arm as she turns and hold her back while the others head towards the Torture Room.

"Are you okay?" I ask her, lacing my fingers with hers.

She squeezes my hand in response. "I will be better once we find Bolin and recover the missing unit."

Her distress is palpable, and without hesitation I cup the back of her neck and place a kiss on her forehead.

"We'll find them, and we'll find Tarrlok, and whoever else is involved."

Asami looks startled. "You think somebody else besides Tarrlok is involved?"

"Oh, hell yes," I growl. My fear wars with my rage that Bolin has been taken, by people who should have been protecting him. "Tarrlok is an errand boy. There's definitely somebody pulling his strings. And I promise you this — we will rain down absolute _hell_ on whoever is behind all of this."

* * *

 **NOTES:** **I await ya'all's new theories with interest! :)**


	9. The Way These Mortals Blame the Gods

**[AN] Oh yeah, it's on now...**

 **Loving all the theories you guys came up with after the last chapter, hope you have fun with this latest installment!**

 **Thundercatroar: Dear lord you make me laugh**

 **Eternalmetalhead: I hope I don't make your head explode trying to come up with more new theories, you kinda went to town last time...**

* * *

 _"Ah how shameless –_

 _the way these mortals blame the gods._

 _From us alone they say come all their miseries yes_

 _but they themselves with their own reckless ways_

 _compound their pains beyond their proper share."_

 _― Homer, The Odyssey_

—

Someone is pounding on the door and I am not happy about this. I groan and push the blankets off, shuffling over to the door. I yank it open and get pushed to the side as the Bitches storm into my apartment. I've only been home for about two weeks but I haven't yet managed a full night's sleep in all that time. Between finishing outpatient treatment with Asami and trying to figure out what happened to Bolin I've been going more or less non-stop.

"For fuck's sake, Major, you've turned into a slug," mocks Kuvira.

I glare at her, ignoring Opal and Jinora's snickers. "You do realize I was up until around three in the morning and it's just a little after six now. And by the way, shut up."

Kuvira waves a folder over her head tauntingly. "Poor baby. Guess you don't want to know what the latest report is from the intelligence peeps."

I snatch it out of her hand and flop it open on my dining room table, scanning as best I could on three hours of sleep. Jinora pulls one sheet in particular to my attention.

"So we know the renegades stole a squadron of fighters and two troop ships. According to this latest intel, in addition to Bolin several of the off planet prisons were attacked and all the prisoners taken. Best guess that it was around five thousand people. Now we know what the troop ships were for."

Opal points at another sheet. "The intel peeps didn't give us the names, but apparently a lot of folks in the military have been identified as being involved in this mess. We just heard that some of them were even captured. That's the good news."

I make a face. "The fact we had a lot of traitors in our military is the _good_ news?"

Opal grimaces. "Yeah. The bad news is we figured out who Varrick was working for." Her face is grim as she waits for me to finish reading.

I stare hard at the paper, my heart sinking.

 _Fuck._

I look over at Kuvira. "Who knows about this?"

"Izumi already has people on their way over. We came to get you as soon as we found out."

"Give me five to get dressed. We're going to headquarters."

—

The Headquarters of the United Forces has got to be one of the ugliest buildings in the history of humankind. I have always hated the place due to its bleak and oppressive feel. I hate it even more today as I storm through the doors, the Bitches close on my heels.

I hear my name being called and turn to see Colonel Tenzin hurrying over to me.

"Thank goodness you're here. I was just about to send a car." He leads us towards the elevators and I growl when I see he's punched in the code for the floor of the Military Police. He lays a hand on my shoulder. "Major, I need you to trust me and keep your temper. But I can't tell you anymore than that right now." He then smiles at Jinora.

"Hi, dad," she says softly in response.

The elevator doors open and I see Admiral Izumi standing outside an interrogation room, surrounded by guards.

"Captain, Lieutenants," Tenzin warns softly. "Please make sure Major Korra doesn't do anything to get herself court-martialed."

I'm suddenly flanked with strong hands on each elbow as we exit the elevator.

"You got here quickly, Major," says the Admiral. Her face is grave, and she looks as exhausted as I feel. "Follow me."

A guard opens a door at her command and we slip into the darkened observation area overlooking an interrogation room. Inside the interrogation room, visible through the one way mirror and wearing shackles, is Doctor Asami Sato.

I feel the arms on my elbows tighten as I try to lunge forward in fury.

"Are you out of your mind?" I grind out. "You honestly think she had something to do with this?"

"Of course not," says Izumi calmly. "And control yourself please, so I can explain."

I do my best to swallow my rage then give her a short nod. She sighs, and allows herself to lean against the back wall.

"As you've no doubt learned, we've discovered that Varrick was secretly funded by Hiroshi Sato in conjunction with a top secret research project being conducted by Ground Forces Command under General Amon."

Kuvira and Opal immediately stiffen, and I know why. Kuvira's old boyfriend, and Opal's older brother, had been a Captain with the Ground Forces Combat Engineers and had died during a skirmish with Fire System forces on a border planet. Rumor had it was due to the extremely bad battle plan by the General. However, a subordinate had ended up taking the fall instead and General Amon was left alone. As far as many of us rank and file were concerned, it had been an example of the extremely dirty politics that happens at the upper echelons of the military. Until today I would have put Admiral Izumi as one of the few brass that was not a complete parasite, but I was starting to reconsider in the face of my doctor in custody.

"We actually discovered this a couple of days ago," Izumi has continued. "After an extremely thorough investigation, we are confident that Doctor Sato is _not_ involved in any of her father's dealings with General Amon."

"Then why—"

The Admiral cuts me off, giving me a stern look. "We also weren't sure whether General Amon was personally involved. However, he has since disappeared despite the security measures we put in place, which means we probably haven't identified everyone involved with this conspiracy."

She sighs and looks sadly at the slumped form of Asami through the window. "We are having to play an evil game, Major. I've made a show of having Doctor Sato arrested and her research confiscated. It's now common knowledge that she's here and suspected. However, what I've really done is put her in protective custody. We need to get her to safety. If what I fear is true, they will come for her, and her research. The fact that Ensign Bolin was taken tells me this."

I feel sick. I want so desperately to be at Asami's side but I force myself to wait. I recognize this for what it is — a mission briefing — and we need all the info I can get.

"Where are we taking her?" I ask, watching Izumi closely.

She smiles. "Your reputation is well earned, Major. Yes, you and your squadron, and a few others, are going to accompany Doctor Sato to safety. However, given that we don't know how badly we've been exposed, I can't offer you much in the way of support. The most I can offer at this point is a ship. You pick the crew, people you are assured of trusting. Any other personnel or facility through United Forces must be treated as having been compromised until we can be confident that the threat has been contained. You are going to have to go off the grid." She bows her head. "I wish I could do more."

I nod my head, now understanding what's being asked of us.

The Admiral sighs and pushes herself off the wall. "Officially you're transporting her to the Gamma Moon Penitentiary where she'll be held under arrest until her trial. In reality you'll be hiding her until we can crush this conspiracy. I will leave the method by which you divert yourselves up to you. The less I know the better." She grips my shoulder, her face pale but resolved. "Keep her safe by any means necessary. We will likely need her to help counteract whatever is being planned."

I swallow hard, suddenly ashamed of my angry suspicions of the Admiral. I should have known better. This woman is a straight flyer. I snap to attention and fire off a salute.

"We won't let you down, ma'am."

She shakes her head. "No Major. Don't let _her_ down."

—

I put Kuvira in charge of preparing our ship, a light battle cruiser that could carry up to six fighters but only required a small crew to fly and was atmosphere capable. In the meantime, I've discretely contacted people I know I can trust to help us. The first to arrive are Sergeants Wei and Wing, Opal's twin brothers and expert flight mechanics. They've been keeping the Fire Ferrets airborne for years and I know them as well as their sister.

Soon after, Captain Saikhan and Master Sergeant Song show up. They have long been in charge of training recruits to the Space Fighter Corps, and their loyalty to those who survive their training to become full-fledged members of the Corps is as ferocious as their combat skills.

The last to arrive is not someone I would not have considered as I don't know him personally, but I trust Tenzin's recommendation as well as understand that the motivation is probably as much about the success of our mission as it is about his worry for Jinora. She squeals with delight when he appears at our hangar; Tenzin's brother, retired Brigadier General Bumi. He was until recently the division commander for the Special Forces unit, and despite the fact that he's older than my father I have no doubt he can kick all of our asses with his eyes closed and one hand behind his back. He's crusty as hell, and I can already tell he and Kuvira are either going to be best friends or kill each other.

Twenty-four painful hours after we got our orders, I'm ready to collect my 'prisoner'. I'm pissed that I've had to leave her alone and probably terrified this whole time, but I needed her somewhere secure while we prepare for her transfer. I stand impatiently with Bumi at the base of our ship's ramp; Admiral Izumi has alerted us that the trucks bringing Asami and the R.A.a.V.A. systems are about to arrive. Saikhan and Song are manning the top guns and Kuvira and Opal are already deployed in their fighters. Jinora's waiting in the cockpit to take off the second we get Asami on board.

"Incoming, north gate," comments Bumi and I see them, a line of vehicles making their way into the launch area. They pull up nearby and Admiral Izumi and Colonel Tenzin step out of the lead car. Two squads of guards jump out of the following troop trucks, one forming a perimeter, the other grabbing large black cases and carrying them up the ramp of our ship. Finally, I see a final guard exit the backseat of the third car, pulling a disheveled Asami Sato out with him. I hurry over and grab her arm.

"I'll take it from here," I bark at her guard, and he steps back, surprised.

"Oh god, Korra, what's going on—" she stammers.

"Shh, just come on. We need to get on the ship."

As we hustle up the ramp, the guards run back down, their cargo delivered. I nod at Izumi and Tenzin, still standing silent and tense near their car, then hit the ramp controls to close us up.

It's now up to us.

Bumi stands up from where he was double-checking the straps holding down the R.A.a.V.A. cases. We will deal with them later. "Heading to the belly gun, Major," he grunts as he slides open a hatch to expose a ladder leading down. "Try not to crash land on anything."

"No promises." I activate my throat mike. "Wee, get us out of here."

"Copy that, Avatar."

I feel the engines come online, then a small lurch as Jinora takes us up. I have about a minute and we're finally alone, so I turn to Asami and grab both her shoulders, pushing her against the wall and crashing my lips against hers. She throws her arms around me and I can feel her trembling.

She breaks the kiss, her voice choked with emotion. "Korra, I swear to you I didn't know—"

I cup her face, bringing our foreheads together. "I know, sweetheart. We all know. I don't have time to explain everything because I have to get up to the cockpit, but I promise we'll tell you everything as soon as we can. Just know we're going to keep you safe." I kiss her again, hard but brief, then pull her down the gangway to the cockpit. I pause before I open the door and brush my thumb across her cheek, wanting nothing more than to get lost in those luminous green eyes. "You ready for this?"

She takes a shaky breath and nods, a hint of a smile appearing. "Looking forward to seeing the Fire Ferrets in action, Major Korra."

I grin and kiss her knuckles. "Just so you know, this doesn't really count as our first date."

* * *

 **Those of you who correctly guessed the next bad round of bad guys please collect your prize at the door.**

 **:)**


	10. Not To Yield

**[AN] Typoed in the last chapter - it's Wing, not Wong (or even Wang, wtf). I hopefully fixed all the references.**

 **Anyway, "our quest continues"...**

* * *

 _"We are not now that strength which in old days_

 _Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are,-_

 _One equal temper of heroic hearts,_

 _Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will_

 _To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."_

 _\- Alfred Lord Tennyson_

—

"Fifty minute to rendezvous point, Major," says Jinora. Her eyes are fixed on our scanners, looking for a hint of any other ships in our sector. So far only the two blips representing Boss and Mad's fighters are present.

"Copy that, Wee," I mutter, then flip my comm. "Boss, status."

"Nothing out here but us Bitches," Kuvira comments over the comm. "I'm gonna fall asleep if things don't get more lively."

"You better pray that it stays this quiet."

Bumi comes into the cockpit with Asami. They've both changed into flight suits, and I can't help but grin at how tight his is. He scowls back at me.

"In all that time you had to put this mission together you couldn't bother to make sure you had the right sizes?" he demands irritably.

I cough to hide my chuckle. "Apologies, General."

"Shit, don't call me that," he barks, pulling at his suit in a vain attempt to get more comfortable. "Didn't Tenzin tell you my ass was fired?"

I blink. "I thought you retired, sir."

"Forced, those ageist bastards. It was either retire or take some bullshit job at headquarters, and other than Izumi and Tenzin there's not a one there I'd piss on if they were on fire."

Asami chokes at his colorful description. She's far more comfortable in her flight suit as I stole hers from Kuvira, given their relatively similar statures. It's a little big in the shoulders and definitely long in the arms but other than that fits her fairly well, unlike Bumi who had to rummage through whatever happened to be on the ship.

Saikhan pokes his head in. "Major, we're ready."

I pull myself out of the pilot's chair. "Wee, be right next door. Scream if you see anything."

"Copy that. Will shriek like a little girl."

I roll my eyes. "Smart ass."

The tactical room had a large oval holo-table built into it. Currently it was displaying a nearby asteroid field and well beyond that the glowing outline of Gamma Moon, technically our destination but nowhere we were going to actually set foot on. I wave at everybody to take a seat, then look over at Song.

"Everybody patched in?"

He nods, and I take a deep breath.

"Okay, let's get started. Boss and Mad, you copy?"

"Standing by, Avatar," says Kuvira, her voice echoing through the room's speakers.

"Read you loud as always, Major," adds Opal.

I shake my head with a slight grin. "Wei, Wing, status please."

Wei's cheerful voice booms through the speaker. "I'm still not sure how we pulled it off, but we're waiting for you in the cave, ready to go."

I see Bumi's eyebrows go up.

"You're hiding it in a cave?"

"On an asteroid, yep."

Asami looks around, a confused expression her face. "Excuse me for interrupting. What's being hidden?"

"So, our mission is to keep you and the R.A.a.V.A. system safe," I begin. "There are very few people we know we can trust, so plan 'A' is to make people think you're dead."

Her jaw drops.

"Wei and Wing were able to put their hands on a moth-balled ship that's about the same size as this one, and managed to get a working engine strapped to it. We're going to slide this ship into the cave while flying the other one out, then pretend we were attacked while passing the asteroid field and blow that ship up. Probably won't fool anybody for very long, but hopefully buys us enough time to get you some place more secure."

Asami's gaze narrows as she absorbs this. "But, if we're not actually attacked, won't my fath—" she stops herself, and I see her fists clench. "Won't the people you think are after me be immediately suspicious because it wasn't them?"

Bumi leans back. "We don't actually think they would want to attack you regardless. Unless we're completely mistaken, they want you alive and your research intact. This way, the first thing they'll try to figure out is if there's another player in this game that they didn't know about, then finding nothing start looking more closely at the so-called attack."

"By then we can be three systems away from here," Saikhan grunts.

"There's a problem, though, Avatar," says Wing over the speakers. "The remote control unit we brought to steer this hunk a junk from the shuttle seems to have shorted out, and we're having trouble getting it to work again. We were able to steal one spare out of the maintenance shed and we thought we might have time to fix it later in case we needed it, but that's back with you guys." He sighs, his breath a raspy roar on the speakers. "We might have to just give this thing a push with the shuttle and cross our fingers."

"No way," Kuvira spoke up. "The cave is too far from the edge of the asteroid field for you to be able to make that shot. It will get bounced all over the place."

"Shit," I mutter, looking at the time. "We have about forty-five minutes before that ship needs to get blown up. Options?"

To my surprise, Asami leans forward. "You are talking about Guidance Proxy units," she hesitates, looking over at me with a questioning look on her face.

I whisper back, "Sergeant Wing."

"Sergeant Wing? Sometimes called Guppy boxes?"

"That's right, ma'am."

She stands up with a determined look on her face. "Why don't you let me have a try while you try to think of alternatives."

There's a moment of silence while we all stare at her. She crosses her arms and rolls her eyes.

"I spent every summer between the ages of eight and nineteen working in my father's factories before I switched full time to medical research. I can probably still teardown and rebuild both this ship and your fighters in a pinch, and I've certainly built and serviced dozens of Guppies — they're invaluable when you're doing initial flight testing of new ships."

Bumi is grinning broadly, and Saikhan is looking at her with new interest.

"Wing, where is that thing?" I call out.

"In a red box in the cargo bay. She'll know it when she sees it"

"Song, please escort Doctor Sato?" I turn to Asami. "No pressure or anything, but it would be glorious if you could fix it for us."

Her lip curls and she nods before following Song down the corridor.

"She's full of surprises, our doctor," drawls Bumi.

I hold up my left arm and pop open my access hatch. "Given that she designed and built a good chunk of my current body as well as some new parts for Kuvira, I'm not surprised by any crazy miraculous thing she might be able to pull off."

Saikhan leans forward to get a better look. "Son of a gun, will you look at that. I thought the thing on your head was weird, but that's even weirder." He gives me a sudden grin. "But you were pretty weird to start with, so I guess it makes sense."

"Hey!"

—

We've spent the last twenty minutes trying to come up a backup plan that has a prayer of working when Jinora pings us on the comm.

"Um, Major? One of the onboard fighters just powered up."

Moments later Song burst into the tactical room, his eyes wide. "She fixed it!"

"That's my girl," I shout, grinning. "Wei, Wing, you guys hear that? One of you assholes send the codes over for the dummy ship so we can link up. Plan A is back on."

"Fuck, we're gonna have to make her an honorary Bitch for that," laughs Kuvira.

I give Bumi a high five as Asami walked in, carrying a large box that looked like a mini flight console. I can tell she's feeling pretty pleased and I throw her a wink as I stand up. "Doctor Sato, you never cease to amaze." I turn to Saikhan. "Captain, you have a ship to get blown up. Make me proud."

He snorts at me and takes the box from Asami's arms. "Thanks, Doc."

I grab Asami's elbow and steer her out of the room back towards the cockpit. "Almost showtime, and I assume you wanna watch."

She nods quickly. "I would go out of my mind not knowing what was going on, and if there's another problem with the Guppy I might be able to help."

"An honorable attitude," Bumi declares from behind us. "You are no shirking violet, Doctor, wanting to hide your head in the sand." He pats her on the back, causing her to stumble.

I give Bumi a punch to the shoulder. "Really? Try not to break the person we're supposed to be protecting."

"Oh shit," I hear Jinora call out, the tone in her voice instantly tensing me up. "Major, I need you!"

I slide into the my seat as I hear Opal on the comm. "Closing fast, Boss."

Kuvira is all business now. "Copy that, Mad. I don't like the look of this."

"Talk to me, Wee," I demand.

"Two birds, coming in hard, not responding to hails."

I look back at Bumi and Asami. "Bumi, grab Song and get on the guns. Doctor Sato, time to fasten your seat belt." I flip the comm to an open channel. "Incoming ships, you are approaching a restricted convoy of the United Forces. Please identify."

I get nothing but static. I am not really surprised. "Wee, how long to the asteroid field? Do we have time?"

"Gonna be tight." She looks over at me. "You better take us in if we're going in hot. I've only flown the field a couple of times."

I nod, tightening my straps down. "Saikhan? Get strapped down, you may have to fly under—" I pause, grinning at the memory. "What did you you used to call it in flight school? 'Less than ideal conditions'."

I sneak a glance back at where he's buckling himself in next to Asami, the Guppy wedged against the nav console. He gives me a sour look. "You think you're so funny, Major. I'm gonna tell Doctor Sato here all the times you crashed on your training flights."

"Those are definitely our fighters, Avatar," Kuvira cuts in. "Not hard to imagine they're part of the batch that got stolen."

"Copy that, Boss. Hopefully Izumi won't send us the bill if we have to blow them up." I eyeball the scanner. "Taking the stick, Wee."

"Releasing the stick," she acknowledges.

We are fast approaching the boundary of the asteroid field. Flying through it is a right of passage for pilots in the Space Fighter Corps, the faster the better. How more people haven't died, I'll never know.

"Wei, Wing, do you guys copy?"

"Read you as loud as ever, Avatar."

"We're a couple of minutes out. Get in the shuttle and make sure you're out of the way. Saikhan," I call behind me. "You ready to fly?"

I hear a couple of beeps behind me, then he replies gruffly, "Connection confirmed. Holding position."

The ship creaks around me as I swing it around, over and under the obstacle course of floating rock and ice. I'm using every trick I know to keep this cruiser threading the field. "This thing steers like a pig," I grunt, leaning hard on the controls. There's a small thudding sound; I've clipped something in passing but we don't have time to stop and investigate. I just cross my fingers that the damage is minimal. Our destination is the one of the larger asteroids in the field. Long ago it collided with one of it's brethren and the result was a large chunk knocked out of it, creating a huge cave. Any pilots who damaged their ships during their attempts to fly the field could use it as a safe place to wait for recovery, the idea being that's it better to receive the scorn of your peers for having to be rescued than to be ground into space dust trying to fly a damaged fighter in an asteroid field.

Wei and Wing had very quietly flown our dummy ship out to the asteroid field last night, tailing a supplies convoy on its way to Gamma Moon before sidling off and settling in the cave to wait for us. Now they're deep inside the cave in a small shuttle, waiting to rendezvous back with us.

"Avatar, birds trying to circle around the field to come up behind you," warns Kuvira.

I grip my flight controls harder. "Explain to them what a bad idea that is, Boss."

I can see the asteroid coming up, and the dark bulk of the dummy ship parked right next to it.

"Saikhan, go," I order tersely. I see the glow of the engines revving up and the dummy eases away towards the edge of the field. "Boss, dummy's flying."

"Copy that, Avatar. Just lobbed a couple of missiles at these fuckers and they swung way out again."

I bring the big ship in close to the mouth of the cave, swinging the stern around so I can back into it.

"Watch where you're pointing your exhaust pipes, Major," I hear Wei complain. "The shuttle only has so much room to maneuver in here and getting hit with plasma stings a little."

I cut the engines and open the ship's hanger door. "Stop you're whining and get your butt in here. Port side door is open for you."

I twist around to see Saikhan, his face partially hidden by the goggles connected to the Guppy box, the screen feed from the ship he's trying to fly through an asteroid field via remote control. I'm glad it's him and not me. I look over at Jinora who's still watching all the screens with scary intensity.

"Two minutes for dummy to hit the edge of the field, Major," she murmurs.

I drum my fingers on the arm of my chair. "We need to sell this. Boss!"

"You rang?"

"Saikhan's going to pretend to be making a run for it and bust ass towards Gamma Moon. Make it easy for them to chase, then take them out."

"Copy that."

Our ship shudders slightly as the twins bring the shuttle into the hanger. I feel one of the knots in my stomach unclench now that we have them back on board. Now to finish this off. I watch Saikhan closely as I listen to Kuvira and Opal deal with the intruders.

"Here they come, Mad, swing right."

"Copy that, Boss. Another warning shot?"

"Yeah, last one."

"Shit, _now_ they're returning fire?"

Jinora starts chuckling, and she looks over at me. "The enemy birds just launched a couple of missiles that missed and are now heading straight for the dummy."

Kuvira is laughing on the comm. "I feel like I need to send a thank you note to somebody for doing our work for us. Direct hit, two strikes. Saikhan, you're clear."

Saikhan's hand immediately moves to flip a large black switch on his Guppy, and I look over Jinora's shoulder at the main scanners. I see the dummy disappear from view as the charges we planted in the ship the night before retire our dummy with a bang. A few moments later the two intruder birds also disappear from the screen. Kuvira and Opal are nothing if not efficient.

"Damn, nice job, Captain." I say to Saikhan. "Guess you're not too old after all." I nimbly avoid his outraged kick. "Boss, looks like you guys are done playing, so come back home for dinner," I say cheerfully.

"Yes, _mom_."

I catch Asami looking at me. "Do you think word of this will get around? Will your plan work?" she asks quietly.

"It will definitely get around. Izumi is pretty good with press releases when she wants to be." I smirk. "The fact that two of their fighters were sent to intercept played into our hand beautifully because it will make this even more believable. If they were hoping to capture you, they're going to be right pissed that they accidentally blew you up. Plus, that's two less fighters we'll have to deal with in the future."

She nods, a slow smile emerging on her face. "Well, now that I've seen the Fire Ferrets in action, I will admit to being at least a little impressed."

I pretend to be offended. "Only a little? I'm gonna have to work harder."

"If you two could tear yourselves away from your flirting session," says Saikhan sarcastically, "We might want to go meet up with the rest of the team and figure out what the hell we're going to do next."

Jinora chokes back a laugh and dodges my smack as she follows Saikhan out of the cockpit. Asami's face is red and she's staring at the ground.

I only grin and offer my elbow. "Come along, Doctor Sato. There's more mayhem to be had."


	11. Never Interrupt

**[AN] They say that no news is good news. In this case, the opposite is certainly true...**

* * *

 _"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake."_

 _― Napoléon Bonaparte_

It's been three days since we snuck carefully and quietly out of the far end of the asteroid field, beyond the range of any possible scanners. We're now in deep space, en route to a place Bumi knows that should be safe for us to hole up, at least for a while. We've exchanged exactly one set of heavily encrypted messages with Izumi, filling her in on what happened at the asteroid field. Apparently our little skirmish was caught on long range scanners from Gamma Moon, but the fact that we used the dummy ship was _not_ picked up on, which helped reinforce Izumi's press release. She also let us know that Doctor Moon was released from the hospital right into her own version of protective custody. Both Asami and Kuvira looked grim at that news, but we had to trust Izumi would keep her safe.

I'm in my tiny command quarters with Asami and the R.A.a.V.A. case that had previously been in my hospital room. She wants to have access to the system in case something happens to Kuvira or myself, and I think we're both worried about the AI. Right now she's sitting cross-legged on the floor next to the built-in desk, the wall access panel underneath removed revealing power and data ports she's plugged an assortment of cables into.

"Can I ask you something?"

She looks up at me curiously, a partially completed conduit in her lap.

"How much does Raava know?" I wave my hand in frustration. "I mean, I know she knows all about your medical system, and she seems to know random factoids, but like, just how smart are we talking?"

Asami nods her understanding. "She was plugged into the hospital network, which in turn was connected to the university network, which in turn was connected to just about everything not behind high security firewalls." She finishes the conduit and carefully reassembles it. "I haven't tried to actually quantify her knowledge, but she's extremely curious, and definitely the digital equivalent of a voracious reader." She plugs several cables into the wall, watching the case carefully for any signs of trouble. "But as for life experience, she has almost none. It makes it harder for her to work in more ambiguous situations."

"Like dealing with people like me," I suggest.

She smiles at me. "Yes, exactly."

"Heaven help her if she ever has to deal with Kuvira or Bumi."

The sound of our laughter fills the little cabin, both of us relishing the chance to feel something other than stress and uncertainty. I feel myself grinning foolishly as I watch her, head thrown back, green eyes sparkling with mirth. She catches me staring and blushes, quickly dropping her gaze, and I wince.

"I'm sorry," I say softly. "I'm sorry for going all caveman on you when we first got you on the ship, and I'm sorry I seem to keep making you uncomfortable. Fighter pilot reputation aside, I swear I'm not trying to get into your pants—" I grimace. "Well, I won't lie, the thought has crossed my mind one or two thousand times, but I swear I would never force the issue. We also seem to have the worst possible timing in the history of mankind, and for all I know you've just been humoring me." My own gaze drops to my boots, and I'm feeling a little chagrined. "Mostly I'm sorry because you're the kindest, smartest, most decent person I've ever met and you don't deserve to have your beautiful work tarnished by fuckers like Tarrlok and Amon, and having to be stuck out here in the middle of nowhere with the likes of us."

She pushes herself up off the floor and sits next to me, her hand resting on my shoulder. "Hey, look at me."

Hesitantly, I raise my eyes to hers.

She takes a deep breath. "I spent most of life feeling like a misfit. People resented my age and my ideas when I was in school, or tried to take advantage of me because of who my father is. It was such a lonely feeling and I told myself I just needed to concentrate on my research, and leave the personal interactions to others more capable of it." She shakes her head and sighs. "Yet, somehow I have never felt so comfortable with anyone in my life before I met 'the likes of you', as you so eloquently put it." Her face is so earnest and open, and once again I'm caught by those beautiful eyes. "I've felt torn, Korra, because you were my patient first, and we have a very unique relationship because of what's happened to you. You're so very important to me, and I'm afraid—" she pauses, closing her eyes. "I'm afraid of doing the wrong thing. Especially now, when you're all putting your lives at risk for me."

My lips are against hers before I realize I've moved, and I hear a whimper that I will never admit came from me. Her fingers slide into my hair, pulling me closer, and now we're laying back against my bunk, her body warm and supple under mine. I trail soft kisses down her neck, grinning when I hear her catch her breath. Then I blink, press one last kiss against her jaw, and sit up.

"I did it again, didn't I?" I say mournfully. "Caveman with the worst timing."

She smiles shyly up at me, her cheeks still pink. "Perhaps. I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it. And technically I believe the correct phasing would be _cavewoman_ with the worst timing."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." I regretfully push myself up and hold out a hand for her. "Before I tackled you, we were about to let Raava out of her cage. We should probably go ahead and take care of that."

Asami accepts my hand and settles herself back onto the floor near the case.

"By the way, Doctor Sato," I tell her as I give her cheek one last caress. "The only wrong thing you could do as far as I'm concerned would be to kick me to the curb. If you don't do that, I swear when all this shit is over I will take you on such a first date as has never been seen before."

Her face lights up and she nods happily. "I will hold you to that, Major." She re-checks all the connections to the case, then gingerly powers it up. Her laptop had been sitting on the desk above her, and she now retrieves it, flipping up the screen and tapping a few keys. I cross my fingers, my gaze going back and forth between the furiously blinking lights on the case and the expression on Asami's face, looking for signs of trouble in either.

"So far so good," she comments. "Things appear to be booting up normally."

"Any signs of her?"

She shakes her head. "Not yet. I've never had to fully power cycle this system down before—"

There's a quiet click, and the case lights settle down into a familiar, more sedate glow.

"Doctor Sato, it appears this computer system has been offline for eighty-six hours, twelve minutes, and thirty-six seconds," announces Raava.

Asami exhales in relief. "Oh thank goodness, she's there. Raava, can you please run full diagnostics on all systems?"

"Please stand by." We wait on eggshells for a few long minutes. "All onboard systems are fully operational, and Major Korra and Captain Kuvira's units are reporting within normal parameters."

"Thanks, Raava," I say happily. "It's weird to say this, but I missed you."

"I cannot say I missed you, Major Korra, as I had no realization of any absence other than noting the unexpected passage of time and in any case I have not yet experienced any significant emotional state. I am curious as to that time gap however. Was there some form of hardware failure, Doctor Sato?"

Asami and I look at each other, and I shrug. "We've got time, and it affects her."

"I agree," says Asami. "I also suspect she may be of assistance once she has all the pertinent information."

"Okay, Raava, let's catch you up."

—

"Anytime now, Saikhan," I mutter, my shoulders start to ache from holding a large pole over my head. We're currently parked on a small planetoid with limited atmosphere and about half the gravity I'm used to, but the pole I'm holding up is heavy even so. We've been here less than a day and I already hate it. Bumi's original location had been better, but after around five days we intercepted a comm that told us a Special Forces unit was on its way to do a training exercise and we had to quickly get out of the way.

He snorts at me. "Suck it up, Major." He finishes wrenching the pole in place then taps me on the helmet. I step back gratefully, looking up at the extended antenna tower we've jury-rigged on top of our cruiser. "Let's go, you're expecting a phone call."

I roll my eyes and slide down the hatch, heading for the tactical room as my helmet retracts. The rest of the crew are already there waiting, Bumi as usual regaling Song and the Bitches from his apparently inexhaustible collection of colorful stories. Wei, Wing, and Asami are huddled around a heavily modified comm unit.

"We going to be able to do this?" I demand. "We've got a limited time window here."

Wei looks over his shoulder. "Keep your pants on, Major. We're trying to make sure the extra power we're feeding to the comm system won't blow anything up."

I fall heavily into a nearby chair and grit my teeth in impatience. We're far enough out that communication with headquarters is iffy at best, and in addition to the power boost it also requires some careful timing to account for a variety of orbits. We missed the last opportunity, and I'm dying for information.

"That should do it," declares Wing. "Thanks, Doc. You've got some slick tools in that kit of yours."

"A girl should always be prepared."

The twins burst into laughter and clap Asami on the back. She beams, clearly pleased at the camaraderie. As Wei and Wing step back she turns and catches me smiling at her. I give her a wink and instantly her cheeks turn pink. Second mental pat of the day.

Above me the speakers crackle into life. "—Izumi broadcasting. Do you copy?"

"We read you, Admiral," I reply quickly. "Fire Ferrets standing by."

"Our circumstances have deteriorated quickly, Major." Even with the usual sound distortion I can hear the tension in her voice. Out of the corner of my eye I see Bumi lean forward, his face intent. "Three days ago, the United Forces forward outpost on Elysium was overrun by an unknown force. Rescue forces arrived to discover only dead bodies. Some of the bodies we were able to identify as our own personnel, but most of them carried Omega Moon penitentiary tattoos and had implants similar to yours and Captain Kuvira's."

"Any other losses?"

"Apparently there was an attempt to confiscate the communications equipment, however someone in our forces was able to initiate the self-destruct sequence and prevent most technology from being taken. The base was utterly destroyed but we were able to account for all critical pieces of equipment in the wreckage. However, we're reasonably certain they were able to at least take some additional flight craft. Unfortunately over two hundred of the base personnel are unaccounted for."

Bumi sits back, his face thoughtful. "There are normally around three hundred personnel at Elysium, is that correct Admiral?"

"That is correct," says Izumi.

"How many casualties from the hostile force?"

There was the crinkly sound of paper rustling, then she replies, "Four hundred and twenty."

Saikhan slams his hand down on the table, his face livid. "If this was Amon, he threw his own soldiers away like garbage!"

"Oh no," whispers Asami. She's pale and trembling, her eyes wide with horror.

My stomach lurches. "Asami, what is it?"

"Tarrlok," she begins, then swallows hard. "One of the things he asked me back at the hospital was if the R.A.a.V.A. system could be used to give orders to enabled soldiers, or even give temporary physical control to a centralized command. His explanation was that it would be faster and safer in a changing environment. It was a ludicrous thought and of course wildly unethical. I refused to even consider the possibility, and in fact informed him that even were it possible it would almost certainly prove lethal in the end, since the brain was not designed to be remote controlled in that way."

"You think Doctor Moon's boyfriend Varrick figured out how to do it." I say slowly.

"I think that's why they took the prisoners. I fear you're right, Captain," she says, turning to Saikhan. "General Amon selected people he didn't care about and took their free will away. He's in essence created biological robots, and using them—" she stops, clearly overcome with emotion.

"He's using them as shock troops," says Bumi grimly. "They have no free will, so taking heavy casualties will not deter them. With sufficient numbers they can overrun any defense eventually."

"I concur, General," says Izumi. "There's one last piece of news, and I'm afraid it's not good. The body of Hiroshi Sato was found yesterday in an abandoned warehouse near Future Industries. All signs point to his having been murdered, and probably some time ago. He apparently had made arrangements in case this should happen. A package for Doctor Sato was delivered earlier to the University Hospital, and I have it now. It was illuminating to say the least."

Asami jerks upright, her hands cover her mouth and her eyes fill with tears.

"Serves him right, the fucking bastard," growls Song.

"That's enough, Sergeant," I snap at him. "Now is not the time." He glances at Asami and has the decency to look a little abashed.

"I am forwarding copies of the contents for your review now."

I look over at Wei who's been monitoring the comm station and he gives me a thumbs up — package received.

"In addition," the Admiral continues, "I think it may be time to bring Doctor Sato back home. General Amon is moving too quickly, and if what you suspect is true, Doctor Sato, we need you back here. Given his willingness to expose his troops to discovery, he very likely still believes you're dead and there's no one else who could interfere with whatever he's trying to do."

"It will take us a couple of days at least." I say, looking at Kuvira who nods her agreement. "Admiral, do we have any idea where Amon and his cyborg army might be now?"

"We're looking, but nothing yet. We're trying to anticipate where he might go next. He still has too few resources for any major action, so either his next target is small, or he needs to expand his power base." Izumi's voice is starting to distort. "Fly safe, Avatar."

I glance at Wei.

"Transmission ended."

I nod and stand up. "Okay people, we need to get ready to blow this popsicle stand. We need the antenna array disassembled. I want full systems checks on this boat and all the fighters. Ammo reloads for anything that needs it. I don't want even a hint of mechanical issues between here and home. I'm going to be officially testy at anybody who gets in our way."

* * *

 **This chapter was starting to go way too long, so I had to split it up. Unfortunately it means that I wasn't able include everything I had originally planned on, however the next chapter is already half written should be along fairly soon...**


	12. In Visions of the Dark Night

**[AN]** **Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. Or maybe not...**

 **Love the comments from everyone, hope you enjoy this latest installment!**

* * *

 _In visions of the dark night_

 _I have dreamed of joy departed-_

 _But a waking dream of life and light_

 _Hath left me broken-hearted._

 _Ah! what is not a dream by day_

 _To him whose eyes are cast_

 _On things around him with a ray_

 _Turned back upon the past?_

 _—Edgar Allan Poe_

—

Asami is reading her father's final letter, tears streaming down her face. I wait, my back against the wall, not wanting to intrude but not wanting her to be alone either. Finally, she leans back from her laptop.

"It was all for revenge for him," she sighs. "Ever since my mother died, he's had such a hatred for the Fire System. Profit was not the only reason his weapons division was so special to him; he would do anything to help the war effort against them."

"What changed?"

"He felt the United Republic's policies were too passive. Amon and Tarrlok approached him in the hopes he'd help convince me to agree to their plans. They pitched it as their solution for bringing down the Fire System once and for all."

I raise one eyebrow. "Did he ever talk to you about it?"

She shakes her head. "No, he knew me well enough for that, I guess." She stands up, holding herself protectively as she paces the small room. "Instead he just stole what he could and found some idiot to work on it in secret." She laughs bitterly. "He apparently started to suspect Amon had lied, and he put together this information in case something happened to him. I'll need to review more to see if there's anything that can help us."

She looks back at the letter burning brightly on her laptop screen, her face haunted.

"It's not your fault," I tell her bluntly. "None of this is."

Her shocked look tells me everything. She turns away and buries her face in her hands. "I just wanted to help people. Now everything we know is at risk because of me."

"No!" She jumps at the vehemence in my tone. "Not because of you. You are not responsible for assholes like Amon and Tarrlok." I hold up my new hand, waiting until her gaze focuses on it. "Look at this, what you created. It lets me feel whole. It lets me live life as I've always lived." I take her hand and squeeze gently. "It lets me feel your hand in mine. There's no greater gift in the universe than the one you've created for me, and Kuvira, and all the others you've helped. All the others you _will_ help. Amon can't take that away from you."

She turns suddenly and collapses against me, the sobs she'd been trying so hard to contain burst out in a flood of emotion. I bury my face is her sweet-smelling hair, holding her until her shaking stops and she catches her breath. Eventually she gives me a watery smile of thanks and presses a soft kiss against my cheek.

"I have calculated several possible procedures for disabling augmented systems, Doctor Sato," Raava announces suddenly and we start in surprise. Her case is still in my quarters, but apparently she's patched herself into the ships network and is taking advantage of the intercom system. "However, after taking the opportunity to review the documents sent by Admiral Izumi I suspect we have an additional challenge."

"How did you—" I blink in surprise. "Raava, how long have you been monitoring everything on the ship?"

"Six minutes nineteen seconds after the R.A.a.V.A. case was connected." The AI pauses. "I had to adapt to the differences in this network compared to the hospital. I hypothesized that it would be beneficial if I was available from anywhere within the ship."

"You mean you guessed."

"I do not guess, Major Korra. My hypothesis was based on previously expected behaviors at our former location."

"What's the additional challenge, Raava?" asks Asami. She's still pressed against me and I'm happy to have her there.

"According to the copies of the notes Hiroshi Sato provided, Varrick has been attempting to reverse engineer the implant and protocols that we were using with Ensign Bolin."

"Oh my god," Asami breathes.

I don't know what this means, but her reaction makes me nervous. "Asami, please explain this to me?"

Asami's face is drawn with worry. "Bolin had the latest generation of implants, specifically designed to work with the new Traumatic Brain Injury protocols Raava and I were developing. You and Kuvira have implants that focus on mobility and sensation. These are more straightforward in that we can map specific parts of the brain to specific functions. Bolin's implant was installed such that it had connections throughout his cerebral cortex, because memory isn't stored in just one place in the brain. We had to try and go wide, if you will, to see if we could help influence the impact his memories were having while in a comatose state."

I blink, not really following, but motion her to keep going.

"It's because of the suggestion you made," she continues. "In layman's terms, we were trying to give him good dreams that would counteract the trauma he endured." Her jaw hardens. "However, without careful monitoring and adjustment, it's possible that the reverse could happen."

"That's the proxy-para thing again, isn't it?" I demand. "Only worse."

"Proxysmal parasomnia," says Raava. "Yes, Major. It is highly probable that anyone other than myself or Doctor Sato attempting to manipulate Ensign Bolin's system would have a negative impact on his treatment."

I clench my fists. "Fuck. We need to find him."

The intercom system beeps and Jinora's voice comes through the speaker.

"Major, we're ready to launch. Boss wants to know if you want escorts flying."

I lean over and hit the intercom controls. "Tell Boss to keep her panties on and no, not yet. You and Mad go ahead and get us aimed for home. See if the twins can give us any kind of extension on our scanning range. We want to sneak back home, not have to fight our way through. Have everybody else meet back at the tactical room in ten."

"Copy that."

I squeeze Asami's shoulders. "I think you and Raava should keep going through this stuff your father sent, in particular if you can find _any_ hints as to what either Amon or Varrick might be up to or where they might be going."

She nods, her face determined. "While we're at it, we'll see if there's any information about how much the technology might have been modified, to see if there's something we might be able to take advantage of. In particular, long range access to the implants in order to control the augmented troops may mean the system is susceptible to hacking."

I give her a tight smile. "You're a beautiful genius and if there's something there, I'm sure you'll find it."

Oh yeah, there it is — another blush. I give myself another mental pat on the back and hurry back to the tactical room.

—

We're a day out from home and we're all starting to get twitchy. It's been way too quiet and everyone is waiting for the proverbial boot to drop. Saikhan and Song are currently on patrol in two of the fighters. Song is technically not rated to fly a fighter outside of a training exercise but with my need to have continuous fighter escorts deployed I don't really have a choice. Jinora and I are piloting the cruiser while Kuvira and Opal try and catch a little sleep. We're rotating every five hours, not really long enough for a real rest, but the best we can do. Bumi and the twins are rotating through manning of the biggest of the three gun turrets, and Asami herself has also barely slept as she pores over all the intel we have.

"Major," Bumi calls out as he sticks his head in the cockpit. "A word?"

"What's up?" I yawn.

"We're all running on short sleep, Major." He rubs his jaw, his eyes bloodshot but still very much alert. "We might want to consider digging in for a bit to rest before this last leg."

I frown. I've been thinking along similar lines, but my desire to get us home has been pushing me to keep going. "You're probably not wrong, did you have someplace in mind?"

He smirks. "As a matter of fact we're coming up on it soon. Nothing fancy, just a place with some cover."

I look down at the scanner and I see what he's talking about. "You mean the old refueling station."

"That I do. The cruiser is a little big, but we should be able to slot into the loading bay. A casual long range scan will reveal the station but hopefully not us, should anyone be looking. A close range scan, well, we'll just have to be watching for that."

I yawn again and look over at Jinora. Her eyes are starting to glaze over from fatigue. This is sounding like a great idea the more I think about it.

"Okay, let's do this." I hit the comm. "Saikhan, you copy?"

"Read you, Major."

"Bring it on in, we're gonna take a break at that old refueling station before we get so tired we start running into things."

"Copy that."

The old refueling station is a remnant from when ships could only go as far as their chemical rocket fuel supplies allowed. These days ships could use hydrogen extractors to get fuel from just about anywhere and use it to power hyper efficient plasma drives. There are still a handful of these old derelict stations lying around, usually vented to space, airless and dark.

I bring the cruiser around and ease it back into loading bay. We're shadowed by the superstructure around us blocking the already limited starlight. Jinora activates the parking arm and there's a small thump as she locks us in place. The low rumble of the engines fades away as we place the ship in standby mode.

Heavy footsteps are coming up the corridor and I see the tousled head of Kuvira appear behind Bumi.

"Hey old man, you're holding up traffic."

Bumi huffs genially. "I would be glad to show you this old man's moves on a sparring mat at the first available opportunity."

She lets out a bark of laughter. "I would love to, but I suspect we'd get yelled at if we tried anything now." She eyes me curiously. "We having a picnic or something?"

I roll my eyes. "We're taking a break. I want us all in good shape before we make the run for home."

"You always pick such scenic locations."

I ignore this. "Since you're in such a cheerful mood, you can take first watch."

She shoulders her way past Bumi into the cockpit. "Fine, you guys go get your beauty sleep. God knows you look like shit."

I smack her on the head as I leave, following the snickering Bumi back towards the crew quarters. Once inside my cabin I haul off my boots and collapse on my bunk.

"Raava?"

"Yes, Major Korra."

"Is Asami awake?"

"Doctor Sato fell asleep at her desk twenty-two minutes ago."

I groan and push myself back up, padding barefoot to Asami's cabin next door. Inside I find her slumped across her desk, surrounded by notes, a pen still held loosely in her hand. I carefully slide my arms under her until she's cradled securely against me, then lift her over to her bunk.

She stirs as I lay her down. "Korra?" she says sleepily.

"Go back to sleep, Doc," I reply softly, pressing a soft kiss against her temple.

"M'kay."

I straighten up and turn to leave, but her hand stops me.

"Stay," she mumbles sleepily, her eyes still closed. "Please."

I hesitate, then carefully ease myself next to her, reaching out to pull a blanket over us. She laces her fingers with mine as her breath evens out once more. The slow rise and fall of her chest lulls me to sleep soon after.

—

"Major Korra!"

I jerk awake and look around blearily. "Raava?"

"I have detected a communication signature similar to the one used by the R.A.a.V.A. system, coming from outside our ship."

Asami rolls over from where she's been curled tightly against me and pushes herself to her feet. "Outside the ship? Where are we?"

I sit up, rubbing my face. "We're holed up in an old refueling station so we could get a little sleep. Raava, is Kuvira still on watch?"

"Captain Kuvira and Lieutenant Opal are currently in the cockpit. All other crew members are in their quarters."

I hurry next door and shove my feet back into my boots before leading Asami back up to the cockpit. Kuvira and Opal look up in surprise as we burst in.

"Boss, have you seen anything pop up on the scanners at all?"

Kuvira blinks. "It's been fucking dead since we got here."

I curse under my breath. "Raava, you still with me?"

"Korra!" Asami looks at me in shock. I know she's wanted to keep the AI a secret, but I don't have time for that now.

There's a pause, then the AI responds. "Yes, Major Korra."

"Can you tell where the signal is coming from?"

"Maximum range for a R.A.a.V.A. implant is approximately seven hundred meters, Major. Unfortunately my ability to detect the signal is not otherwise directional."

Kuvira and Opal are staring at me, eyes wide.

"Who the fuck is that?" Kuvira demands.

"That's a long story, Boss, promise you'll hear it soon." I lean back on my heels, thinking hard. "Mad, hit the docking lights. If somebody is around, they can't have walked here."

The viewer ports blaze as the external lighting elements fire up. They illuminate the entirety of the docking bay, and we all lean forward.

"Raava, any change in the signal you're seeing?"

"No, Major Korra."

"Can you tell what _kind_ of signal it is?"

"I have been analyzing it. It appears to be a deviated version of the v-eleven system we were using to treat Ensign Bolin."

Asami gasps.

"There!" growls Kuvira suddenly, jabbing a finger at one of the screens.

A shuttle is tucked high up against the roof of the loading bay, camouflaged by support struts. An access hatch leads from it into the station.

"Why, hello," I say, feeling a slow burn of anger. "Who might _you_ be?"


	13. Into the Valley of Death

**[AN] Things are getting exciting now - hope you all enjoy!**

 **:)**

* * *

 _Half a league, half a league,_

 _Half a league onward,_

 _All in the valley of Death_

 _Rode the six hundred…_

 _— Alfred Lord Tennyson_

—

My helmet light does very little to illuminate the intense blackness in front of us. Bumi leads the way, Opal behind me, and Saikhan bringing up the rear. The shuttle had been empty and devoid of any useful information, so now we're looking for the pilot or anybody else who might be around. I try not to get my hopes up that this might include Bolin.

"This fucking sucks," mutters Opal under her breath. "Anybody see anything?"

Saikhan snorts. "Is that whining I hear, Lieutenant?"

Bumi comes to a sudden halt. "If you pilot types don't mind," he whispers sarcastically. "We've got a choice to make and do you hear that?"

Beyond him I can just barely see that our corridor has split into two. We sink to one knee, gripping our rifles tightly. After a moment, I feel it more than hear it, a low hum rising off the deck plates.

"Generator?" suggests Saihkan.

Bumi cocks his head. "Maybe."

I have a thought, and raise my hand to my head, only for my gloved fingers to thump against my helmet. Fuck. In theory we've got a breathable atmosphere, but nobody is feeling like testing this yet. Instead, I thumb my comm.

"Avatar to base, come in."

"Read you, Avatar," says Kuvira. The tone in her voice makes it clear she's still pissed at me for leaving her behind but the the fact of the matter is there's nobody I trust more to keep our ship (and even more importantly, Asami) safe, so she's just going to have to deal and I'm going to owe her a ton of expensive whiskey if we ever make it home.

"Boss, can you put me on speaker? I need to ask Asami something."

"Are you really asking her on a date _now_ , Major?" Kuvira grouses, but complies. "Go ahead."

I take a deep breath, knowing I'm about to open another can of worms. "Asami, I need to enable my HUD, but how can I do it if I can't hit the buttons?"

I hear Kuvira sputtering in the background. "What the fuck do you mean she has a HUD?"

Asami clears her throat. "Raava can control it remotely, within the limits of the transmission range."

"Seven hundred meters, right?"

"Roughly. It can be affected by surrounding materials, lead shielding for example."

I can feel the stares from my team but I ignore it for now, preparing to sink a little deeper in the rabbit hole I'm digging for myself. "Is there a mic on my implant? Can she hear me if our regular comms are offline?"

"Um, yes, there's a small microphone—"

"Last question — can she see what I see?"

There's a pause. "Yes, she has the ability to access the inputs to your prosthetic eye." Asami says this slowly, and I know she's realizing that I'm essentially adding Raava to my mission team, and I know that's got to be messing with her head. I steel myself and pray that this is a good idea. "Okay, let's try this. Raava, please activate my HUD, comms mode."

There's a brief blip and my left eye flickers.

ACTIVATED.

"Fuck yeah," I breathe. "Okay, thanks Doc. This is working, we'll check in later if we can. Avatar out." Now to see what Raava and I can do together. "Raava, is there a way you can overlay comms mode with grid or heat mode?"

NEGATIVE AT THIS TIME.

"Right, okay. We can work with this." I look back at the diverging corridors. "Raava, heat mode." I can clearly see a faint heat signature down the right hand corridor. It's official, I am in love with my new eyeball and Asami Sato is a my personal goddess for having invented it.

"Raava, comms mode. And if you can, broadcast what I'm seeing back to the cruiser. The more eyes the better. Also, ask Kuvira if she can find a blueprint or something for this station."

BE ADVISED THERE MAY BE SIGNIFICANT LATENCY IN SUCH A BROADCAST. YOUR REQUEST HAS BEEN PASSED ON.

I turn back to the team, all of whom are starting at me as if I've grown a second head. I don't really have time or inclination to explain right now, so I simply tap my helmet near my implant. "I've got a little extra help here, and it looks like we're showing heat down that way."

Bumi has a very strange expression on his face, but he says nothing, rising to his feet. The rest of us get back into formation behind him, and we head down the corridor. The hum we heard earlier is getting louder, and after another hundred meters I can see a faint light ahead of us.

SEARGENT WEI HAS FOUND INFORMATION REGARDING STATION LAYOUT, SWTICHING YOU TO GRID MODE.

A moment later a simplistic geometric overlay appears in my HUD. Raava traces the route we've followed up to now and better yet shows me where it's headed.

"Bumi," I whisper. He glances back. "This is taking us towards sickbay." His eyes widen slightly at the news, but he nods briefly and continues on, his steps careful and quiet. Suddenly his fist shoots up, bringing us to a halt. He looks back at me and cocks his head. I'm confused, then I hear it — muffled sobbing screams, and shouting. Different voices, too muffled to differentiate easily. Bumi presses himself against the wall and we follow suit, moving forward more slowly now, uncertain as to what's waiting for us.

Not sure if this will work but it's worth a try. "Raava, heat mode." I turn my head towards the walls, and a few minutes later I see them, three amorphous yellow-white blobs on the other side of the wall we're leaned up against. One of the blobs is moving quickly, jerkily, the others appear to be still.

Bumi touches my elbow. "What do you see?" he asks softly.

"There's three, other side of this wall," I whisper back. Saikhan leans out from his position on the back and points towards a door about 10 yards away.

"Raava, grid please." I squint, then look back over at Saikhan and nod. That door takes us where we want to go.

The sound of shots fired flattens us against the wall. The screaming intensifies

"Raava, HUD off!" I shout hoarsely. I don't need the distractions right now. Bumi has grabbed me and Saikhan and put us on either side of the door. He shoves the door open and rolls through, his rifle up. His eyes widen and he jerks his head for us to follow. We slip cautiously into the room, then stop at the scene before us.

Bolin is standing before us, swaying slightly and leaning against a raised medical bed. A number of other empty bunks surround him. He has one arm raised and he holds a blaster pistol in his hand, pointed towards the far wall. The body of Colonel Tarrlok lies slumped on the floor, the wall behind him painted in a spray of blood and scorch marks. Next to the body is a thin, dark-haired man, his arms raised defensively in front of his face. He's screaming shrilly.

"Make it stop, make it stop, you killed him, you _killed him!_ " Bolin's voice is hoarse, stuttering through his sobs. "Make it stop, I can't hear him, _I can't hear him."_

"Little Mouse," Opal gasps, and Bolin whips around to face us, the hand holding the gun shaking violently.

"No!" His eyes are wide, his face flushed. "You're not Mad, Mad's dead," he shrieks. "Macho's dead. THEY'RE ALL DEAD!"

"No, Bolin, wait!"

He opens fire as we dive back through the door.

" _This_ is your missing guy?" shouts Bumi over the sound of blaster as we all cower in the hallway. The wall opposite us starts smoking under the constant barrage, sparks flying everywhere.

"Yes," I shout back, "so please try not to shoot him! And we should try and grab that other guy while we're at it!"

Saikhan risks a quick look, then jerks back as Bolin howls in rage, firing as fast as he can. The smoke is growing thicker, smelling of scorched paint and the sharp tang of melting metal.

"How long until he runs out of charge?" I shout, eyeing the dissolving wall with growing concern.

"Too long," he grunts back.

"Fuck!" I look around, trying to see if there are other doors or any way to get behind my hysterical squadron mate. "Raava, HUD on, comms!"

ACTIVATED.

"Is there any other way into the sick bay?"

CHECKING.

NEGATIVE. NO OTHER POINTS OF INGRESS.

"Can you do something through Bolin's implant?"

NEGATIVE. I HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A CONNECTION, BUT HIS SYSTEM HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY MODIFIED.

"Dammit!"

Opal scrambles over next to me. "We're going to have to try and grab him."

"You feel like getting shot today, Mad?"

Opal shakes her head, her eyes a little wild but her face shows her determination. "No, look. He's firing at anything that moves or he thinks is moving, okay? I'm going to dive through the door and take cover behind that counter over there. You come in behind me and tackle his ass."

I do not like this plan at all, but I've got nothing better and we're out of time.

"Bumi, Saikhan!" I yell, tossing my rifle over to Bumi. "Opal and are going to try and grab him. You guys make sure the other guy doesn't get away!"

Before they can object Opal takes a deep breath, crouches low, and runs for it. The blaster shots immediately start following her across the room. I take advantage of Bolin's distraction and vault myself over the bed that sits between us, aiming right for the middle of his back. Luck is with me and we go down in a heap, the pistol thankfully flying out of his grip. Bolin's screaming continues unabated and he struggles violently underneath me. I manage to get my knees on his shoulders to keep him from getting up.

"I got him! Opal, can you give me a hand?"

There is no response. Bumi and Saikhan run in, Saikhan heading straight for the counter Opal is hiding behind, Bumi heading towards the moaning survivor.

"Shit," says Saikhan, dropping to his knees. "We need to get her back to the ship."

My head jerks up even as I shove hard on Bolin's neck to keep him down. "What the fuck?"

Saikhan's face is grave. "She got hit."

"Oh god, no."

Bumi comes up to us, his hand gripping the collar of the skinny man firmly. The man's is pale and trembling, his earlier screams now reduced to quiet mumbling.

CAPTAIN KUVIRA NEEDS TO SPEAK WITH YOU.

"Base to Avatar, come in." Kuvira's voice comes over my comm even as Raava's message blinks into view.

"Go ahead, Boss."

"Get your asses back, here, Major. We've got company coming. You've got maybe fifteen minutes."

I close my eyes. _When it rains…_

"Okay. Tell the Doc we're bringing in some wounded—"

"We saw, and that computer voice thing gave us details. Doc's already prepping the sickbay. Is that Mouse screeching?"

"I'm afraid so. Saikhan, can you get Opal back to the ship?"

He finishes knotting off a bandage around her arm then nods, sliding his arms under her and hoisting her up. To my relief I see she's woozy but semi-conscious; the shot she took doesn't appear to have hit anything critical.

"Switch with me, Major," suggests Bumi. "I have some experience with this particular circumstance." He doesn't wait for a reply but instead kneels down and punches Bolin hard in the side of the head. He instantly slumps.

"Fuck, Bumi, you trying to kill him?"

Bumi grins mirthlessly. "We're in a hurry, and now he's asleep. I didn't relish the thought of having to haul him to the ship fighting him every step of the way." He lifts Bolin up over his shoulder. "Let's go."

I turn to the violently shaking man next to me.

"I'm Major Korra of the United Forces. I need you to come with me."

"I'm Va—Varrick. I thought he wa-was going to ki-kill me."

My fingers curl around his arm and I grit my teeth. "Like he killed Colonel Tarrlok?"

Varrick nods vigorously and starts to say more but I stop him.

"Save it, right now we need to get back to our ship." I pull him behind me as we make a run for it, back up the long dark corridors to the dubious safety of our ship.

* * *

 **For you Bolin fans, please forgive me - it killed me to write him in such bad shape, but Varrick and Co. fucked him up pretty badly...**

 **Also, sorry - with regards to the LOUD SHOUTING of Raava while in HUD comms mode, but there are apparently too many limits to what kind of formatting I can do (but I did try, I swear)**


	14. Why We Must Struggle

**[AN]** **Howdy folks! I had hoped to get this out before the New Year, but t'was not to be, alas. I did get a hugely wondrous gift, however, in the form of amazing fan art!**

 **Many huge shoutouts to willoghby over on tumblr for sketching the scene from Chapter 3 where Asami is showing Korra the access hatch on her wrist. (FF hates URLs for some reason, but if you have a look at willoghby's feed you'll see it easily enough )**

 **Beyond that, thanks all for your many kind comments and constructive criticisms, and I wish you all a Happy New Year!**

 **:)**

 **PS - for some reason FF is eating the reviews people are sending me. I'll get them in email, but they aren't showing up on the site (which makes it hard for me to reply). I've complained at the (theoretically) responsible parties, so hopefully it will get fixed soon.**

* * *

 _If we have not struggled_

 _as hard as we can_

 _at our strongest_

 _how will we sense_

 _the shape of our losses_

 _or know what sustains_

 _us longest or name_

 _what change costs us_

 _— Kay Ryan_

—

Kuvira and the twins are waiting for us in the airlock. Kuvira seals the ship up behind us, then thumbs her comm. "Wee, they're in. Get us going towards the asteroid field."

"Copy that, Boss."

I shove Varrick at Wei. "Lock him in the brig and get your ass to one of the guns. Bumi will be along in a minute."

He grins mirthlessly and grabs Varrick by the scruff. "You got it, Major."

I turn to Kuvira. "Okay, you want the boat or a fighter?

She rolls her eyes. "Please, like I want to try and steer this tub in a firefight."

I give her a tight grin and nod. "Saihkan, you up for a brawl with Boss, here?"

"Does General Amon shit in a foxhole?"

"Ew, Captain. Okay, let's get Mad to the Doc and then you get to a fighter. I'll swap with Wee. This thing may fly like a bathtub, but at least it flies better than a troop ship." I take a breath, trying to think quickly. "Wing, after you oversee fighter launch come meet me in the cockpit. Oh, and somebody find Song and get him on the main gun."

Asami is standing in the middle of sickbay when our little group staggers in, a hypo in her hand. Her face is pale but shows no other signs of emotion. Bolin has started to wake up from the punch to the head and is struggling weakly as Bumi straps him into a medi-bed. The hypo hisses as Asami presses it against Bolin's next and he instantly quiets down.

"A sedative," she explains at my questioning look. "I need to keep him out until I can assess the damage to his implants and see if we can restart the R.A.a.V.A. TBI protocols." I see one of the R.A.a.V.A. cases wedged under the bed, and she grabs the cable and slots it into his implant. "Raava, can you please start running some diagnostics?"

"Yes, Doctor Sato," intones the AI. "Please stand by."

"If you fine folk will excuse me," Bumi says gravely as he heads for the door. "I have a gun to man."

Saikhan lays Opal down on another medi-bed. She's gone from semi-conscious to out cold in the run through the derelict's corridors back to the ship. Asami starts cutting her out of her flight suit and we all wince when we see the blackened burns on her arm and shoulder.

"Looks worse than it is," Asami reassures us after a moment's inspection. "But I have no doubt it hurt a great deal and she's likely suffering from shock. The medi-bed will be able to help expedite her recovery but it's likely to be at least a day before she's recovered enough to be mobile."

"Thanks, Doc," I tell her. "You have like maybe three minutes to make sure you're all secured. It's likely to get bumpy really, really soon."

She bites her lip, then nods. I grip her hand hard, wanting desperately to stay with her.

"I'll be back," I promise quietly.

"I'll be waiting," she replies.

—

"Status, Wee." I say as I rush into the cockpit.

Jinora points at the scanners. We're moving at top speed and I see two ships nearby. "They're following us, but not overtaking us. Haven't seen any fighters yet, but if it's our friends we know that they have at least some. We're still way out of gun range, thankfully."

I grunt as I strap myself in. "Let's keep it that way. You get your tail down to the hanger, I want at least one full unit flying for this."

"Dropping stick." She releases her straps and heads out.

"Taking stick. Fly straight, Lieutenant," I mumble.

She smiles. "Ferrets forever."

I take a deep breath and thumb my comm.

"Bumi, Song, Wei, you guys in place?"

"We're set, Major," Song replies.

"We've got a bet on kill count, should it come to that," says Bumi.

"Good luck with that General," I warn. "Song's a _very_ good shot."

"Now you tell me."

I feel a shudder under my feet and see that Kuvira's team have launched their fighters.

"Boss to mothership," says Kuvira over the comm.

"Go ahead, Boss."

"I'm having Saikhan and Opal drop back. They're fully loaded with cherries. I'll take point and make sure nobody is out in front."

"Copy that, Boss."

I call out my final check. "Sickbay, you guys strapped in down there?"

There's no response.

"Sickbay?"

"Reporting for duty, Major."

I whirl around to see Asami slide into the co-pilot's seat, Wing right behind her. He smirks at Asami but takes his place at the Nav station.

"I couldn't not know what was going on," she says, avoiding my gaze while she straps herself in. "And I realized they'd be safer in sealed stasis, just in case." Her eyes finally meets mine, and I can see her fear but also her determination. "Also, I'm really bad at waiting."

I snort, one eye still on the long range scanners. Sealed stasis mods can be the only way to survive a catastrophic event in space. Your body is essentially put on pause and can last a long time, in theory so you can eventually get recovered. I've heard of some stasis pods recovered as much as a hundred years later, though I can't imagine the shock it must be to be the person who's been out for that long.

The two blips tailing us turn into eight.

"Boss, fighters launched!" announces Wing. "Looks like six birds."

"Six birds confirmed," Saikhan comments after a moment.

"Boss to mothership, think we should try a hail before we start shooting?"

"Too late for that!" says Jinora, her voice tight. "Incoming missiles."

"Fuck, how rude," Kuvira growls. "Blow some cherries and give those missiles something hot to target."

"Copy that, I'm on it," says Saikhan. "Cherries away."

On the scanner two blips break away and are heading straight for us. "Gunners, you've got incoming."

"Copy that," says Song, sounding nonchalant.

"Sweet mother fuck and a half," I hear Kuvira swear. "Saikhan you've picked up a tail, swing left."

"I got it," reports Jinora. "Two coming towards you boss."

"I see them."

The ship shakes as Bumi, Wei, and Song open up with the guns, the tracers bright in our viewports. I switch over the comms from the fighters so I can keep it open for the gunners. Out of the corner of my eye I see Asami jump, holding a white-knuckled grip on her chair. There's a distant explosion of light and I hear a whoop from Song for target destroyed.

"Song!" Bumi shouts. "The second one is out of my gun range, watch for it—"

The tracers are still flying, but now the ship is shuddering in a way that causes my stomach to ache. The alarms are flaming red on the console and I see that the emergency hatch seals have fired, indicating a fire or a hull breach.

"Shit! Gunners, status!"

There's a pause, then the comm crackles.

"Main gun took a hit," shouts Wei, his voice is muffled and shaky. "I got the fighter but it was too close and it crashed right into us."

"Song?"

There's a pause, then Wei says somberly, "I don't think so, Major."

"Fuck. Bumi! You better be there old man," I call, but there's still no response.

"Wing," I start to say, but he's up and moving before I can finish.

"On my way."

The comm crackles again. "Boss to mothership."

"Read you, Boss." I fight to keep my voice steady, but I can't completely keep the waver out of my voice.

"We got all but one of the fighters," says Kuvira, her usual sarcastic banter missing. "The last one is retreating and the big ships appear to be slowing up. Saihkan's fighter is smoking hard though, he needs to come in."

"Copy that." I look over at Asami. "I need to keep this boat going and we're a tad short-handed. Can you operate hanger controls?"

She immediately starts unstrapping herself, but her hands are shaking and she fumbles a bit before she's able to stand up.

"Hey," I say softly. "Just breathe okay? You're holding it together pretty damn good for a civilian."

She nods and straightens up a little. "I'll get him in," she promises, and hurries out the door.

I eye the scanner and confirm what Kuvira had seen; the two big ships tailing us are definitely slowing up. I check our distance to the asteroid field and start to relax slightly when I see that even if they go top speed now, we can still outrun them to the safety of the field. Big clunky troop ships are way to big to risk flying in all that mess, and the asteroid field is getting close enough to home where reinforcements for us should start to become a worry for them. On the other hand, very little they've done has made sense so far.

"Major Korra," says Raava, surprising me.

In all the excitement, I had forgotten the AI, but apparently Bumi has figured enough out to think of using her. "What's up, Raava?"

"I am passing along a message from General Bumi. He asks me to report that his comm unit has been damaged and is non-functional, but that he and Sergeant Wing have recovered Sergeant Song and ensured that there is no further danger to the ship. Sergeant Wei is currently the only gunner."

"Recovered? Is Song okay?"

"I am unable to determine that from the information currently available to me. I can report he is non-responsive, but not whether that is due to loss of consciousness or if he is deceased."

"Your beside manner is for shit, Raava," I growl.

There's a brief pause. "I am not able to parse your meaning from this statement, Major."

"Never mind. Can you please advise Doctor Sato that they're en route to sickbay?"

"Yes, Major Korra."

We're now down two and we were already short-handed as it is. I sigh and thumb the comm.

"Mothership to Boss."

"Read you loud, Avatar."

"Song's out of commission, and for all we know Saikhan took some damage. I'd like to keep you and Wee out there but I think you'd better get back to the ship."

"Dammit, seriously," Kuvira curses. "How bad is Song?"

"Don't know yet. We're almost to the field, we should be safe enough in there before we make a fast run for home. Asami's running hanger control."

"Copy that. Doc better not slam the door on us."

I snort. "Don't piss her off and she probably won't."

I stare at the scanner. The two ships are now actively traveling away from us, in the direction of the Omega quadrant. I make note of this for future reference, still befuddled by the seemingly inept attempt to intercept us.

"What is your game, Amon?" I mutter.

—

Kuvira has relieved me in the cockpit, pointedly referring to my growing whiskey tab; I think I now owe her about three cases. As I walk into sickbay, my stomach drops. Near the far wall a bodybag is strapped to one of the medi-beds. Saikhan and Bumi are sitting on a bed near the door, both looking a little worse for wear. Bumi is holding a cold pack to his eye and his flight suit shows some scorch marks. Saikhan is bleeding from a couple of places and his flight suit is off, showing off a lovely bruise on the left side of his chest and a big bandage wrapped around his thigh. Asami is bandaging a cut on his arm as I approach.

"Hope you gave as good as you got," I say to Saikhan.

He grunts, then winces as Asami starts taping up his ribs. "Yeah, my target was in very small pieces when I was done. I think I got hit by a piece of the fighter Boss took out. Slammed into the side of my cockpit and ruptured one of the hydrogen lines."

"You have two cracked ribs and that laceration on your leg needs to be watched," says Asami, stepping back. "Normally I'd tell you to rest for the next couple of days, but somehow I don't think that's going to happen."

"Thanks, Doc, and yeah, probably not."

There's a hiss as she presses a hypo into his thigh. "This will help with the pain for the next twelve hours or so, but then it's going to hurt like hell, I'm afraid. Be careful of those ribs."

She turns to Bumi, but he waves her off. "I'm fine, doctor. I've been hurt worse in a bar brawl."

Saikhan snorts, then winces, pressing one hand to his ribs. "Can I get two shots?"

I leave him negotiating with Asami and approach the body bag. It's matte black and stamped with a serial number under the United Forces golden phoenix, and now it holds the body of another friend. Another man lost under my command, three more injured. Right now I'm not feeling like Izumi's faith in me was well placed.

Saikhan and Bumi come up behind me, and Bumi claps me on the shoulder.

"Some day soon we will drink excessively in his honor, but first we have to survive long enough to get to a bar."

I can feel Saikhan looking at me. "What do you think he'd say to you now, Major?"

I manage a smile. Song had never been a man to say much, but I was pretty sure I knew this one. "Keep my head out of my ass and focus on the mission."

"Sounds like you paid attention in training at least some of the time—"

Suddenly the klaxons go off, alarms blaring and the emergency lights blinking furiously.

"Avatar, you better get up here," demands Kuvira over the intercom. "We've got problems!"

* * *

 **Notes: Trivia - this poem snippet is particularly special to me because the author, Kay Ryan, was the official Poet Laureate for the United States a couple of years back and she lives in my town. Very cool lady (and a great poet)...**


	15. Rage Unmatched

_We hear — thou knowest_

 _if sooth it is — the saying of men,_

 _that amid the Scyldings a scathing monster,_

 _dark ill-doer, in dusky nights_

 _shows terrific his rage unmatched,_

 _hatred and murder._

 _— From the Saga of Beowulf_

—

"This explains a lot," comments Bumi as we all stared over Jinora's shoulder at the large scanner. We all stare at him. "An attempt to delay us so we couldn't help. They probably had orders to waylay anyone heading towards Terra."

Terra. Homeworld for the The United Republic of Planet, the seat of our way of of life, and the core of what I've sworn to protect. My heart is screaming at me to get my ass to a fighter, but I shove that thought down, gritting my teeth and trying to keep the larger picture in focus.

Saikhan grunts, though whether it's from pain or annoyance is not clear. "I'm not sure how much help one little battle cruiser with a couple of fighters would help against _that_."

The image on the scanner terrifies me. A Fire System dreadnaught is parked halfway between the asteroid belt and our home, a horde of fast moving of fighters surrounds it, speaking to a hot firefight.

"Any chance they've seen us?" I ask Wing.

Wing shakes his head. "We've got forty percent better range to our scanners than normal because of Doctor Sato's little hack. They shouldn't be able to see even as far as the asteroid belt."

"The troop ships we just met have to have let them know we're out here," pointed out Kuvira.

"Yeah, but they're also pretty busy," Saikhan replies. "Doubt they're going to have time to care unless we come into their range."

Bumi rubs his temple absently. "My distaste for General Amon is strong, but I'm having a hard time thinking he actually made a deal with the Fire System…"

I curl my hands into fists to stop the shaking. "Boss, you and Wee get us to the cave." My voice is strange to my ears, low and very angry. "Quiet as you can, and shout if you see anybody come near us, and get the twins prepping the fighters for a new launch, just in case." I turn to the two older men, both watching me with knowing eyes. "Bumi, Saikhan, you guys come with me. There's someone we need to talk to. Raava!"

"Yes, Major Korra," replies the AI instantly.

"Is Doctor Sato still in sickbay?"

"Doctor Sato is currently in the hanger."

I raise one eyebrow but don't take the time to wonder what she's doing. "Please ask her to join us in the brig." I turn and storm down the corridor. "I need answers and I know where I can find some."

Bumi keeps pace next to me, his face serene but his eyes glancing towards me repeatedly.

"What is it, General?" I ask with a sigh.

"We haven't had a chance to really chat about our newest crew member," he says, his voice decidedly neutral. "Given the reticence shown by you and Doctor Sato it seems likely Raava is a true artificial intelligence, not merely an excellent voice control system?"

I purse my lips, but nod. "Yes, she is."

Saikhan trips and curses. "Are you serious? I thought that was impossible."

I manage a small smirk. "Apparently not."

"I'm beginning to think nothing is truly impossible for the good doctor," says Bumi, a little awed.

"Correction, General Bumi, Doctor Sato did not create me specifically," Raava comments from the nearby intercom. "Rather my emergence singularity came about when a sufficient number of system connections was made during the course of her research." Bumi and Saikhan jump in surprise at Raava's voice as she continues. "However insofar that I would not have had such an emergence without her technology I consider her my creator."

I slap my hand against door controls leading into the brig. "Just remember, nobody knows about Raava outside of this ship, and we need to keep it that way. It's bad enough what Amon and his assholes have done with the technology they _do_ know about."

The doors whoosh open and I turn when I hear my name called.

"Korra!"

Asami hurries up to join us. A smudge of grease mars her otherwise perfect cheek.

"Hey, Doc. I need to talk to Varrick, and I have a feeling I'm going to need your big brain."

She nods, taking a deep breath before giving me a wry grin. "You'll stop me if try to strangle him?"

"Maybe."

"Korra!"

—

Varrick is sitting on his bunk, propped against one wall. His face is drawn and he eyes us nervously as we array ourselves opposite him. I let him stew for a few minutes, just glaring at him.

"Okay," I say finally, not bothering to control the anger in my voice. "There are two ways this can go. One, you tell me everything you can, answer any question I have, and generally be a helpful human being." I take a few steps closer to him. "Or two, you try to hold out on me, and we will draw straws on who gets to start causing you pain."

Out of the corner of my eye I see Asami jerk her head towards me, but I keep my gaze focused on Varrick's face. He gulps and nods, his eyes flickering towards Asami. "I know this doesn't mean much, but until we were actually at the hospital I thought I was working on a legitimate project."

"Oh yeah?" I ask sarcastically. "What clued you in?"

"It's certainly not standard patient protocol to use force to discharge a patient from a hospital." Varrick hesitates, then blurts, "Though to be honest I really had my suspicions ever before then. I was told I was assisting Doctor Sato but wasn't actually ever allowed to contact her directly. Even when I had serious questions."

"My father told you that," says Asami flatly.

He flinches, shrinking even more closely into the wall. "And Colonel Tarrlok. You were— I was told that you were busy with prototyping and my job was to finish it." He closes his eyes. "He said you were great at starting things—"

"But not finishing them," I grind out. I grab him by the collar, shaking him roughly. His eyes fly open and he stares at me in terror. "Look at me, you asshole! I lost two legs, an arm, an eye. Half my fucking body is brand new. Do I look like a prototype to you?" I throw him back against the wall roughly. "Are you _really_ so arrogant to think you were better than somebody like Asami Sato? That somehow you could do something useful for Ensign Bolin that she could not?"

"Korra."

I blink, feeling a hand on my arm. I realize my fist is poised to strike, and Asami's green eyes are intent upon my face. Behind her I see Saikhan and Bumi hovering, their stance tense, clearly ready to intervene. My fist comes down slowly, my eyes never leaving Asami's face. She nods and gives my arm a squeeze before releasing me.

Varrick is cowering on his bunk, his arms are covering his face and his eyes are squeezed shut again.

"Varrick!" I growl. "Pay attention."

He peers cautiously through his fingers at me.

"What were you specifically hired to do?"

He swallows. "I was approached by Hiroshi Sato and General Amon after I applied at Future Industries. My specialty is also neurology, and after reading some of her white papers I was hoping to work with Doctor Sato. However I was told there were currently no positions open in her group, but that they were starting up a new defense division."

"Military."

"Well, yes," Varrick hedges. "But for defense purposes! General Amon kept saying how enlistment for United Forces was dropping off, that we couldn't maintain long term. He said it was expensive to recruit and train, and we had all these worthless people just sitting around in prisons that could do something useful for us, if only we had a way to control them."

"If only we could make them slaves," Saikhan growled.

"Worse than slaves," said Bumi, his eyes narrowed. "A slave has at least enough free will to choose to die rather than submit. His mind is still his own even if his body is not."

Varrick is staring at the floor, his hands shaking. I watch as Asami slowly approaches him. "The R.A.a.V.A. systems prior to version eleven were not capable of the level of neurological control you're suggesting. You made adjustments."

"Yes," he whispers.

Asami is staring at him, her face drawn as she considers her next question.

"You can't truly remove free will, but you can overwhelm it."

"Yes," Varrick buries his face in his hands. "I made significant changes to how the system interfaced with the hypothalamus."

Asami closes her eyes.

"Asami?" I ask quietly.

She looks at me, and the horror in her eyes chills me. "The hypothalmus regulates the part of your nervous system that controls your heart rate or your respiratory rate. It also is where emotions are regulated, and things like arousal or aggression. The R.A.a.V.A. system interfaces with it, extremely carefully, as part of the bio-equivalency features used for the prostheses. I think Varrick used it to trigger this men into a psychotic state of rage."

"In ancient times," intones Bumi, "warrior tribes had special warriors called berserkers. The heat of battle induced a murderous madness, capable of unspeakable brutality."

Saikhan clears his throat. "So the huge casualties at Omega Moon were because they were largely untrained soldiers that were in that state. They were so angry they couldn't even control themselves enough to duck when they were being shot at?"

"I didn't hear about that mission, but that's likely," muttered Varrick. "We needed Ensign Bolin and his R.A.a.V.A. system because all I was able to do up to that point was turn men into savages. The fact that Ensign Bolin's system was more comprehensive and was potentially affecting memory I got the idea we could do training through it so they would be more capable, especially when we discovered that V.A.A.T.U. pilots were really bad." He falters slightly. "Also, once the V.A.A.T.U. systems were turned on the longest any of them lived was about five days before their autonomic nervous system shut down and they died, so I was hoping to find something in the version eleven R.A.a.V.A. system that would help."

I choked. "V.A.A.T.U. system?"

"They promised me the patents when I got started, since I was going to do all the work turning Doctor Sato's prototype into a real product." He appears to forget where he is, and his chest puffs out importantly. "I decided I should rename the system to distinguish it properly. Varrick Augmented Attacking Tactical Units. Super soldiers that would transform the military."

There's a moment of silence as we digest Varrick's information. Then we fall back in shock as Asami launches herself at him, screaming in fury. She lands a couple of good hits before Bumi manages to grab her, engulfing her gently but firmly as she continues to struggle.

"You used my work to kill thousands of people!" she shrieks, tears streaming down her face. "You selfish, greedy son of a bitch!"

I catch Bumi's gaze and jerk my head toward the door. He nods and manages to pull Asami out, her sobs now overwhelming her curses as they exit. I clench my teeth and turn to Varrick who now holds one hand protectively over a blackened eye.

"You are one person. How did so many people get implants so quickly?"

Varrick opens his mouth, then shuts it again, his face showing clearly he knows we're not going to like what he's going to say next. Saikhan takes a step and grabs Varrick by the hair, forcing his head up. "Just because Doctor Sato isn't here doesn't mean you're out of the woods from getting a beat down. There's a Fire System dreadnaught currently attacking Terra. We don't have time for you to jerk us around."

Varrick nods quickly, licking his lips. "After we took Ensign Bolin, Colonel Tarrlok took me General Amon at his new headquarters. There I was introduced to a Doctor P'Li and her staff," he stops, his face reddening. "They made me show them how to install the implants, and then Doctor P'Li had me do a double arm surgery on this other woman named Ming-Hua. That's when I found out—" his voice trails off, and shame darkens his features. "That's when I found out they were all Fire System. Ming-Hua was the aide-de-camp to the Supreme Command of Fire System forces, this whack job named Zaheer. I think she's also the girlfriend to one of his generals. I thought Amon was scary, but this guy…" Varrick shrugs. "I think Zaheer and Amon have an alliance. Amon gets Zaheer's help to overthrow the United Republic, and then Amon gets control of it as the military governor. I'm not supposed to know all this of course, but Tarrlok gets chatty when he's drunk, and he got drunk a _lot_ at the refueling station."

"Why were you and Bolin at the refueling station at all?" I ask in a whisper, wanting nothing more than to finish what Asami started.

Varrick coughs. "Amon didn't want Zaheer and P'Li to know about the problems we were having, so he stuck me there out of the way until I could figure out how to make the implants work better. Tarrlok was there to report back on my progress, and was in charge of organizing test subjects once I had a system update." He takes a breath, but continues. "You showed up during our first test run. Ensign Bolin was supposed to be under complete control of the V.A.A.T.U. system, but as soon as he woke up, he was as you saw him."

"You did that to him," I snarl. "You took him away from where Asami was trying to _heal_ him, and you did that to him."

I beckon to Saikhan and turn to the door, needing to leave before I wrap my hands around his scrawny neck and choke the life out of him.

"What's going to happen to me now?" he asks plaintively as exit his cell.

I don't turn around. "Be thankful it's not up to me, because I want to set you on fire, you fucking asshole."

The door slides shut behind me, cutting off any reply he might have. I hope he pisses his pants.

"This is a big pile of shit we find ourselves in, Major," comments Saikhan. "We need to talk to Izumi as soon as we get to the cave."

I rub my aching temples, trying to relax enough to get my head clear. "Get everybody to the tactical room. I'll be there soon."

He looks at me knowingly, then nods and heads out. I have somewhere else I need to be.

 _Asami._

* * *

 **We start to see the larger picture, and oy.**


	16. Something Wicked This Way Comes

_By the pricking of my thumbs,_

 _Something wicked this way comes._

 _-William Shakespeare_

—

Bumi is standing near the door to Asami's quarters as I approach, his face somber.

"How is she?"

He shakes his head. "She's carrying a heavy burden."

"It's not her fault!" I protest, but stop as he grips my shoulder hard.

"What was done was not her fault, but she feels the responsibility of it nonetheless, and her fault or not she carries the shame of what has been done." He gives me a searching look. "You are likely the only one who can help her through this. For her sake, of course, and also for the United Republic. We need her."

"Bumi," I say, my voice shaking a little. "Thank you."

He nods and smiles faintly, then turns and heads up the corridor towards the cockpit.

I face the door and take a deep breath before palming it open. The room is dark save for the harsh light from the tiny washroom. I see her slumped over the sink, gasping for breath before dry heaves wrack her body. The sharp smell in the room bears witness to Asami having already voided what little had been in her stomach.

"Oh shit," I mutter, hurrying to her side. I hastily wet down a washcloth and run it over her forehead and cheeks, thankful for her sake that her hair was already pulled back in a loose pony tail.

When she finally lifts her head, I wince at the haunted look in her eyes. She accepts my offer of a water bottle without comment, taking a tiny sip before snapping the lid shut and shuffling over to her bunk where she sinks down against the wall, legs pulled up to her chest, chin resting against her knees. She buries her face behind crossed arms as I sit next to her, leaning back against the wall but careful to leave space between us.

"I can guess that's why they killed my father," she says finally, her voice muffled. "If he had an inkling that Amon was allying with the Fire System…"

I let my head drop back against the wall and close my eyes. "Probably. Your father also doesn't sound like someone who would just blindly follow orders, as opposed to Tarrlok, or even Varrick for that matter. He probably could have caused real damage to Amon's plans had he lived."

She sighs, clutching herself even more tightly. "It doesn't make me less angry. He knew what he was doing was wrong; the fact he stole my work tells me that. And because of him—"

I cut her off. "Because of _him,_ because of Amon and Varrick _,_ bad shit has gone down. This is not on _you_."

To my surprise, Raava speaks up via the intercom. "In historical times the man who helped discover nuclear fission himself suffered a crisis of conscience." The AI's voice is as smooth and dispassionate as always, but there's a new tone in there as well that I don't recognize. "He is quoted as having said: 'We have made a thing, a most terrible weapon, that has altered abruptly and profoundly the nature of the world ... a thing that by all the standards of the world we grew up in is an evil thing. And by so doing ... we have raised again the question of whether science is good for man.'"

Raava falls silent, and I stare dumbly at the speaker in the wall.

"And yet, without nuclear fission we would not have made it into deep space and our race would probably would be nothing but a collection of old graves on a dead planet, if I remember my high school history class," I comment after a long moment.

"That is correct, Major Korra," says the AI. "While nuclear fission had been used for several horrific acts of aggression, its positive benefits cannot be discounted."

"I know something else, too," I saidy firmly. "If it wasn't this, it would have been something else."

Asami raises her head at this, her eyes red-rimmed and her face pale. "What do you mean?"

"I mean Amon didn't suddenly decide to commit treason and recruit all his fellow co-conspirators just because of what you did. With the number of people involved this has to have been building for years." I tentatively reach out one hand and exhale in relief when after a moment she links her fingers with mine. "Your work came along at a convenient time, but he made a mistake trying to take advantage of it."

She's startled by my assertion, but waits for me to explain.

"He can't really use it the way he wants to," I continue. "All he had was Varrick, who had an incomplete understanding of the system, and now he doesn't even have that—just some Fire System crew that can make and install implants but they're not working very well. There's only so many prisons he can plunder for shock troops and eventually Zaheer is going to realize this amazing technology is not really doing much for them."

I squeeze her hand. "R.A.a.V.A. wasn't made for what Amon wanted, and I'm betting V.A.A.T.U. or whatever the hell Varrick bastardized can't do it either."

Asami closes her eyes and nods.

"Major Korra to the tactical room!" Jinora's voice blasts out of the intercom, and we jump.

"Come on," I pull her along with me. "Time to go give Amon and Zaheer an ass cramp."

Asami blinks then bursts out laughing, shaking her head. "Thanks, I needed that."

"That's not a military tactic I have ever seen mentioned in the historical record, Major Korra," Raava calls out as we enter the corridor.

"Trust me, Raava," I smirk. "It's highly effective."

—

The holo-table is active when Asami and I walk in, and shows the dreadnaught still parked well outside orbit range. The dogfight we had seen on the scanners is now gone; it's deceptively peaceful.

"—their fighters are largely destroyed or withdrawn but their guns are exceedingly accurate so we've withdrawn our squadrons for now," Admiral Izumi is saying over the comm. "However I don't think they expected us to have the planetary artillery installations in place so soon."

Bumi chuckles. "That explains why they're not close enough for bombardments. We're currently in a standoff."

"For now. I'm still concerned over by the last communication we received, demanding our immediate surrender. I'd like Doctor Sato to review it as soon as possible, and I'd like you all planet-side as soon as possible."

"She's here, Admiral," I call out, and gesture Asami towards a chair. "And this old boat is no longer atmosphere capable. We have a hull breach where our main gun used to be. It's sealed well enough for space, but a re-entry would rip the ship apart."

"Ah, Major Korra, that's very unfortunate news. We're transmitting the recording now. I need to attend a briefing with High Command, so stay where you are for now and we'll reconvene in two hours. I'll look forward to your plan for getting back to headquarters at that time. Izumi out."

"She never asks for much does she?" I growl irritably, and Saikhan smiles.

The holo-table flickers and the dreadnaught disappears, replaced by the image of an enourmous ship's bridge, dozens of crew members sitting silently at their stations. I immediately recognize General Amon, and beside him stands who I can only assume is Supreme Commander Zaheer. There's something odd about how they're standing, their bodies rigid, their eyes fixed on a distant point, not looking directly at the camera.

"You will accept our arrival," they announce in unison, and we all blink in surprise. "You will surrender unconditionally, or we will destroy you."

Asami gasps and pulls herself to her feet. "Pause it!" She leans closer to the image, then her hand flies to her mouth. "Oh my god."

I peer more closely and see it as well. "They have implants. Why would they have implants?"

Asami shakes her head slowly, still staring the image before her. Then her eyes widen and her jaw drops. "What if they thought this was the way to solve the training problem. The V.A.A.T.U. system was supposed to make perfect soldiers, essentially biological robots, but it wasn't working. What if they decided to try and leverage trained soldier's thought patterns to expedite things?"

"And they wouldn't trust that whoever joined in that process wouldn't try to take advantage of having that level of control over those units," Bumi adds, his brow furrowed. "So probably a lot of the officers got it, which meant Amon and Zaheer would also feel compelled to participate."

Saikhan has leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled together as he thinks. "This is pure speculation, and it doesn't explain that weird dual voice thing they did."

"I suspect I can explain that, Captain Saikhan," announces Raava. "Assuming General Bumi's theory is plausible, the most likely explanation is the vast neural network created by such an attempt resulting in another emergence singularity."

"A what?"

"What was that?"

Asami sinks back into her chair, looking sick. "That's the official name Raava and I came up with to describe what happened when my computer system suddenly developed its own sentience. When she 'woke up.'"

"You think it's another AI," I say flatly. "One that's essentially taken control of anybody who has a V.A.A.T.U. implant."

"That is my supposition, Major Korra," Raava replies. "If I may add, however, that as I consider Doctor Sato to be in essence my creator, I also find myself as having emerged in order to share her purpose — to expand our knowledge for the betterment of human kind. An artificial intelligence arising out of a network designed to mentally enslave human beings for militaristic purposes is likely to have a different purpose."

"Okay, I get the theory," I say, frowning. "But implants require brain surgery. I still don't get how they've been able to do that many people so quickly. And I'm sorry, I just don't buy control freaks like Amon or Zaheer doing it. That would be a risky move, requiring being unconscious, things could go wrong—I just don't see it."

"In retrospect, I agree." Bumi comments, giving me a warm look of approval that makes me sit up a little straighter. "Very curious."

I glance at Wing and Wei. The two sergeants have been silent this whole time, their jaws dropped as they took in our conversation. "Guys, do me a favor and go get Varrick. You need not be gentle. I have a feeling he was holding out a little on us…"

* * *

 **Notes:**

 **Threw you a little Red Lotus teaser, but alas that was another misdirection. The reality is so much worse as we climb the bad guy ladder.**

 **:)**

 **Also, Raava is quoting Robert Oppenheimer, a member of the Manhattan Project, developers of the nuclear bomb during World War II. He's not part of this universe, but the idea of human beings committing misuses of scientific discovery can be assumed to be a truly trans-universal phenomenon.**

 **And for those who are missing Kuvira bad-assery, or who are wondering how Bolin and Opal are doing, don't worry, we'll get there...**


	17. Death Be Not Proud

**[AN]** **We approach the final showdown, and someone makes a very hard decision.**

* * *

 _Death, be not proud, though some have called thee  
_ _Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;  
_ _For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow  
_ _Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.  
_ _From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,  
_ _Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,  
_ _And soonest our best men with thee do go,  
_ _Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.  
_ _Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,  
_ _And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,  
_ _And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well  
_ _And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?  
_ _One short sleep past, we wake eternally  
_ _And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die._

 _\- John Donne_

—

Varrick thuds into a seat at the head of the table, Wei's strong hand clamped at the base of his neck. Wing catches my eye and flips me something. I snag it deftly out of the air and blink as I recognize it; it's an implant, though I've never seen one unattached before. Asami leans over and I hand it to her. She turns it slowly over in her hands, considering it.

"He was messing with that when we went into his cell, and he tried to hide it when we came in."

Varrick is sweating. "That's important research!"

"Shut up," I growl at him.

Asami is shaking her head. "It has obvious difference from my original design, but I would need to time to go over this to figure it out."

"We don't have time. Varrick, spill."

He stares at me, his lips pressed in a thin line.

"Sergeant Wing, convince Doctor Varrick to help us."

Wei holds Varrick more firmly as Wing grabs one hand, breaking Varrick's pinky finger with a sickening crack. I watch as he howls at the pain, my face impassive.

"I warned you about not being helpful. Now spill, or we'll break another one."

Wing reaches for the next finger and Varrick yelps. "The surgeries were taking too long, and Zaheer was getting angry," he gasps quickly, his eyes flickering between me and Wing. "Doctor P'Li showed me a device the Fire System uses for interrogation techniques that I was able to incorporate their tech into the V.A.A.T.U. system so that surgery wasn't necessary."

"Interrogation techniques, meaning torture," says Bumi, his eyes narrowing. "I've heard of these things. They can cause pain without inflicting physical damage, usually used on hostages or high value prisoners so they don't accidentally kill them during questioning."

Varrick refuses to meet any of our gazes. "I was not aware of those details," he protests weakly.

Saikhan snorts derisively and Bumi shakes his head.

There is a small click and we turn to look at Asami, still holding the implant. A series of thin wires has emerged from the underside and she's staring at them intently. "Remote access to internal brain centers," she says, her voice distant and clinical. "I wouldn't have thought that feasible without at least the assistance of pharmaceuticals."

Varrick says nothing but squirms in his chair. I look meaningfully at Wei who starts squeezing his neck.

"Yes, yes, you're right! I believe the drugs were administered orally via the food supply."

He's staring at the table and shaking. I wonder if he has ever really allowed himself to recognize the depths of hell with which he's chosen to participate before this moment.

Asami has another question. "What was the survival rate of recipients of these devices, Doctor Varrick?"

He hesitates again and Wing moves to grab his hand.

"Initial mortality rate was roughly fifteen percent," he blurts, clutching his hand protectively to his chest. "This was deemed acceptable."

Asami still isn't looking at him, and her voice grows even more emotionless. "And the longevity of the survivors?"

"Depends on when they were used on a mission." Varrick licks his lips, his eyes darting nervously between Asami, Wing, and me. "We have never been able to make them last longer than two engagements. We discovered keeping them in stasis between states alleviated interim psychological damage. It seemed more humane!"

"Your generosity is astounding," mutters Saikhan, the sarcasm biting.

Asami closes her eyes; her face is white and I can see a tremor in her hands. I jerk my head at Wei and Wing and they haul Varrick from his seat. He's sweating profusely and his chest is heaving. Suddenly Asami stands up and stalks up to Varrick, her fists clenched. He recoils but is held in place by the twins' firm grip.

"So, we have a mass producible device that any fool can slap onto another human being and cause them to lose voluntary cognitive function, turning them into psychotic killers."

"I swear, I just wanted to make a name for myself," Varrick is actually crying, looking around at us beseechingly. "I didn't intend for any of this!"

My stomach roils in disgust, and there is no pity in any of our eyes as we look at this pathetic man who has wrought so much thoughtless evil.

"The greatest evil perpetrated is the evil committed by nobodies," says Raava, her voice echoing through the tactical room. Varrick looks around with a confused look on his face, but none of us see fit to explain anything to him. "And I dare surmise that your fear of being viewed as such will allow you to go down in history as a perpetrator of one of the greatest evils ever conceived by mankind, not only by what you did but by what you enabled others to do."

"Get him out of here," I growl, and the twins haul the sobbing man away.

Bumi cleared his throat. "To see a man like Varrick makes me weep for the state of humanity." He reaches out and pats Asami on the shoulder. "To hear the wise words of Raava restores my faith in the greatness of what human beings can accomplish."

She looks up at him, her face startled.

"You may not have intended Raava, Doctor Sato," Bumi says gravely. "But you made her what she is, and she is magnificent."

—

I collapse onto my bunk with a groan. We spent almost thirty six straight hours of no sleep trying to repair the hull damage to the cruiser to attempt an atmosphere reentry to no avail. Asami and the twins finally shook their heads and declared it a lost cause without a dry docking. That left coming up with a Plan B, likely involving a risky run for it using our shuttle with a fighter escort. Given the fact that shuttles are ass slow and have almost no maneuverability at speed, we'd be hard pressed to protect it should we be noticed and enemy fighters sent to investigate.

The alternative is not using the shuttle and leaving Bolin, Opal, and Song behind in the cruiser and squeezing Bumi, Asami and the twins into the secondary 'jump' seats on each fighter (assuming we could even stuff Bumi into one of them). We'd then have to cross our fingers the cruiser with its precious cargo, including the R.A.a.V.A. cases, would remain undiscovered in the asteroid field. Not a chance I was willing to take.

Izumi proposed sending out another cruiser with a heavy escort but admitted it was almost certain to attract unwanted attention and she's understandably hesitant to commit to that sort of fight yet.

Kuvira and I have gone over possible flight trajectories endlessly without finding one that would improve our chances. The asteroid was just too far from the planet and the shuttle was too slow. Leaving anyone behind was out of the question. So far the dreadnaught hasn't moved, but we know it's only a matter of time before a match lights up that bomb.

I throw an arm over my eyes, willing myself to sleep for even just a couple of hours. We're all exhausted but when Saikhan discovered I had skipped my last rest period he practically forced me to my cabin.

The problem is I don't feel like I deserve sleep. I finally give up and decide to go in search of a snack to see if that might help me relax. The door opens with a hiss and I jump back in surprise. Asami is standing in the doorway, her hand half raised as if she was debating about knocking.

"Hey."

She looks at me intently. "May I come in?"

I step back. The lights in my cabin are dimmed, and I can just see her face as she perches on the edge of my bunk.

"I thought you were asleep," I say softly as I sit next to her.

"I thought you were too."

I chuckle and shake my head. "We're a pair."

She pauses. "Are we?"

"Are we what?"

She looks down at her hands, clasped tightly in her lap. "A pair. Us."

I raise her chin with one gentle finger, brushing her jaw with my thumb until she meets my gaze again. "We may not have had our first date yet and I still think we have the worst timing in the history of the universe," I tell her, struggling to keep my voice steady. "But I am already very much yours, Doctor Sato, and I hope that you'll be mine."

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, then I see the shine at the corner of her eyes. Then she stands up and turns to me, pushing me back on my bunk before straddling my lap.

"I want to be yours."

She's kissing along my jaw.

"Make me yours."

I'm gasping for breath. "Asami… wait…"

She latches onto my neck, her teeth scraping deliciously along heated skin.

"Korra, please…"

With a whimper I left myself succumb to the emotions I've carefully kept in check. I peel off her flight suit with shaking hands before she helps me out of mine. All these past weeks of fear and anger and regret are dismissed, if only briefly, and we forget it all in the electric feeling of each other's skin, in frantic breaths murmuring words of passion. All previous hesitation vanishes and she clings to me as I call out her name in reverence, lights exploding behind my eyes at her sure touch. She arches against me as I worship her body with everything I have. Nothing else exists in this one perfect moment. I care only that she's in my arms, her breath hot against my chest, our heartbeats pounding as one.

As I start to sink into oblivion, I hear her whisper softly, "I love you."

"Love you, beautiful," I mumble in reply, slurring with fatigue. "I'm yours."

"And I'm yours, forever."

—

The familiar feel of it wakes me up; a fighter has just launched off the cruiser. I stumble off my bunk. Asami is gone, but my discarded flight suit and the faint scent of her tells me it wasn't a dream. My stomach drops.

"Korra to cockpit, what the fuck's going on?" I growl, hastily pulling on my flight suit.

There's no response. I smack the intercom in irritation. "Cockpit come in!"

I run to the door, but it doesn't open.

"Fuck!"

I fumble for the emergency release and pull hard. The door starts to open, then slams shut.

"Major Korra, I must ask you to stay in your cabin for twenty two point nine more minutes."

I stop dead. "Raava, what's going on? Where's Asami?"

There's a pause, and I feel a prickle of dread. "Doctor Sato and I have decided on an alternative course of action to our current predicament. Unfortunately it was not possible to share this plan with you, as you would have dismissed it out of hand."

"Where's Asami?!" I scream, now terrified.

"Doctor Sato has put Doctor Varrick into a comatose state and applied the V.A.A.T.U. implant to activate it. She is using its signal to impersonate a disabled Fire System fighter that will be recovered into the dreadnaught. At that point she will activate an Electro Magnetic Pulse bomb, wiping out all electrical systems within the dreadnaught. We surmise that it's likely this will include the V.A.A.T.U. emergent AI and all of its victims."

I'm punching and kicking the door, sobbing. "You let her go off on a suicide mission!?"

"There is a fourteen point six percent change that Doctor Sato may be recovered from the dreadnaught. After she activates the EMP, she will attempt to exit the dreadnaught in a stasis pod. I will activate a locator beacon at that point."

"How the fuck can you do that if you're here?" I shout. My knuckles are bloody, but the door stays shut.

"My existence here is technically a backup copy now residing on this ship's mainframe. My primary self is with Doctor Sato in a modified compartment that's shielded against the EMP."

I whirl towards my desk. The R.A.a.V.A. case is gone, but on the table I see a folded piece of paper, my name written neatly across it. Somehow I make it to the desk and grab the paper with trembling fingers.

 _Korra,_

 _I'm so sorry to leave you like this. I know you keep telling me this isn't my fault. Maybe it's not, but neither can I allow any more good people to sacrifice themselves on my behalf. Know that I have never received a greater gift in this life than the day I met you. Your kindness, your loyalty, your bravery, your love — all these things I cherish. But, as much as you have protected me, now I must protect you, and the others. I know my plan will work, and I can only hope that I will survive it. If I don't, please never doubt that I loved you utterly, and my only regret was not being with you at the end._

 _Fly straight, Avatar. I know I will see you again, either in this world or the next, for we are each other's._

 _Asami_

* * *

 **Notes:**

 **Credit due - Raava's comment about evil perpetuated by nobodies is quoted from Hannah Arendt's Eichmann in Jerusalem, a good if painful treatise on how 'normal' people can do some fucked up shit.**


	18. We Few, We Happy Few

_"From this day to the ending of the world,_  
 _But we in it shall be remembered-_  
 _We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;_  
 _For he to-day that sheds his blood with me_  
 _Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile…"_  
 _— William Shakespeare_

* * *

I don't recognize at first that Kuvira and Jinora have burst into my cabin. It's not until they each grab an arm and haul me to my feet that I realize that I've fallen to the floor, tears streaming down my face as I clutch Asami's letter.

"What the hell is going on?" Kuvira demands, giving my shoulder a shake when I don't respond. She takes in my face and lets her hand drop. "Korra?"

I look at her blankly for a moment, then I hold out the letter to her. Jinora leans over and they read it together.

"How did she launch without help?" Jinora wonders out loud.

"I assisted, of course, Lieutenant Jinora," responds Raava. "I now have the ability to control most of the systems on this ship."

"Holy fuck," Kuvira whispers. "I knew something was up when we all got locked in and the comms weren't working."

I snatch the letter back, tucking it carefully into my flight suit as I run out of my cabin, the Bitches at my heels. We pound down the corridors until we reach the hanger, but the door remains shut.

"Raava, open the door!" I snarl.

"I cannot do that yet, Major Korra."

"OPEN THIS FUCKING DOOR!" I scream.

"Doctor Sato couldn't risk a pursuit that would put any of you in danger of the EMP, and my ability to control the ship will enable me to enact the second part of Doctor Sato's plan."

Kuvira crosses her arms and glares at the intercom speaker. "Oh, I can't wait to hear this," she growls.

"We will use the shuttle and fighters to enter Terran atmosphere," explains Raava. "However, I will pilot the cruiser to ferry the shuttle close enough to the planet to launch so that its slow speed will no longer be a factor should there be any pursuit by the V.A.A.T.U. controlled units. I suspect I can also provide some coverage using the guns if absolutely necessary should there be a pursuit, but this ability has not been tested."

Jinora's brow crinkles. "What will happen to the cruiser then?"

"If I am able to keep the cruiser from entering atmosphere, I will use the cruiser to search for Doctor Sato," says the AI.

"Raava, I swear to god if you don't open this door I'm going to shoot it open," I am done waiting. I want my fighter and I want it now.

"Major Korra to the cockpit!" Saikhan's voice blasts over the intercom. "You better come see this."

"Fuck!"

Alarms are beeping wildly as I charge into the cockpit. Saikhan and Bumi look up at me.

"Explosion on the dreadnaught," says Saikhan soberly. "Big one. It's still there but we're gonna feel the shockwave in a minute."

"Oh my god," I breathe. "She set off the EMP."

"That's not all," say Bumi gravely. He points at the corner of the scanner.

Jinora gasps. "The troop ships - they're coming back!"

"They were out of range of the EMP," reports Saikhan after checking the readouts.

I'm gripping the back of the captain's chair so hard my knuckles are white. My heart is screaming at me to ignore everything else and go after Asami, but I try to force myself to think. I cannot dishonor her by wasting the opportunity she's given us.

"Major." I jerk my eyes up to see Kuvira standing in the doorway, her eyes narrowed as she watches me struggle. "What's the plan?"

Right. The plan. Troop ships, full of psychotic and probably out-of-control killers. The dreadnaught disabled, status unknown. Doctor Asami Sato, status unknown.

 _Fucking hell, why did you do this Asami?_

But I know why she did it. She is the consummate protector, her own brand of honor demanded this sacrifice. I understand it, even as I feel like I'm dying.

"Get Izumi on the horn," I rasp. "Asami's given us a chance. Let's not waste it. If Raava is right about the the other AI, and she can make a copy of herself, then the other one could have too. We need to take them all out, now."

I look at Bumi, leaning back in his chair, his face grave but he's nodding.

"It's time to finish this."

* * *

Admiral Izumi is silent when I'm done outlining the situation. Then I hear her sigh heavily.

"I concur with your assessment, Major. I'm sending notice to the fleet now." She pauses, them more quietly. "Have you picked up any sign that Doctor Sato was able to get clear?"

My throat clenches and I can't answer, but Jinora sees my face and speaks up for us. "Not yet, Admiral."

"It's possible that the beacon wasn't activated," Saikhan comments, his eyes darting sidewise at me. "She could well be out there."

"I want to get the fighters launched now," I say in a low voice. "If she is out there and ends up in a middle of a dogfight…" I trail off, unable to complete the thought.

"Go," says Izumi. "Bring her home. The fleet in en route, ETA to intercept fifteen minutes."

I look at Jinora. "Where are the troop ships?"

She grimaces as she checks the scanner. "Close enough it's going to be a race."

I shake my head and head to the door. "Boss, you're with me. Saikhan, you and Wee—"

"No way, I'm going with you!" Jinora bursts out.

"Wee, I need you and Saikhan to pilot the boat—"

"I can pilot this ship now, Major Korra," the AI reminds me. "It would make more sense for Captain Saikhan and and Lieutenant Jinora to accompany you. The fighters are faster and more agile. Four of you will have a better chance of finding Doctor Sato than just two. We'll be coming behind you."

I hesitate only briefly, but nobody makes any objections and in fact Bumi and the twins, waiting in the hall, are giving every indication that cutting and running to planet-side is not going to happen. I nod curtly. "Ferrets, let's fly."

* * *

"I have finally been able to tap the R.A.a.V.A. sensors into the ship's system, Major," Raava tells me as I race through pre-flight check. "With the extended range I have picked up a faint signal. Unfortunately it appears to be in close proximity to the dreadnaught, or even more likely still inside it."

"She's stuck in there?" Bile rises in my throat and I swallow hard.

"Could be good news," Kuvira comments over the comm. "Less likely to be hit by a stray shot, maybe?"

"Fuck, I hope so," I mutter. "Wei, you copy?"

The sergeant is in the cockpit, essentially acting as Raava's second and a pair of actual hands if she needs it. His brother and Bumi are manning the remaining guns. "Read you loud, Avatar."

"Ferrets?"

"Boss Bitch standing by."

"Wee Bitch standing by."

"Psycho Bitch standing by."

I burst out with a sharp laugh. "Kuvira made you a Bitch, Saikhan?"

Kuvira snickers. "Damn straight. Psycho Saikhan is one of us now."

"Can't argue with that." I take a deep breath, struggling to ignore the ache in my chest. _Focus on the mission._ "Okay, Raava, launch us."

We've picked the shortest route through the field and are pushing hard.

"Psycho, stay on my tail," Kuvira warns. "It's been a while since you've flown the field."

"It's like riding a bike, Boss," he drawls, but I notice he's mirroring her flight path anyway — he's too seasoned to be worried about appearances.

We clear the asteroids and haul ass towards the dreadnaught. As we get closer I see it's no longer holding a steady station, and bursts of flame are popping up all over the place.

"Some of those guns are firing," says Kuvira from her usual position at the front. "Pretty randomly though."

"Mothership to Avatar," calls out Wei.

"Go ahead, Mothership."

"Attack fleet just cleared atmosphere, heading towards the troop ships."

"Copy that."

Saikhan grunts as we get closer. "Goddamn that thing is huge."

I eye the fiery mess in front of me. "Raava, you copy?"

"Yes, Major."

"Any update on that signal?"

"I have gotten a clearer view of its location as we have gotten closer," she responds. "The signal is definitely originating form inside the dreadnaught. If you activate your HUD I can display it to you."

"My helmet's in the way of my implant."

Raava obligingly does it for me. The cruiser's enhanced sensors have apparently allowed Raava to view a little bit of the dreadnaught's internal construction. I see a blinking signal near the hull in what looks to be a huge hanger space.

"Bitches, see if you can take out the active guns. I'm gonna head for the hangar and see if there's an airlock or something I can get in through."

Kuvira chokes. "You're going to exit your fighter to go in through an airlock? Are you insane?"

"You have a better idea, Boss? If I can get inside, I can try and find a manual override for the entrance, or see if I can even just bring her back through the airlock."

I hear her mutter under her breath. "Start looking for access, but don't you dare go in without backup. Give us a few to clear out these guns and then I'm going with you. Psycho and Wee can cover us."

"Copy that, Boss," Jinora calls out. "You need to keep her out of trouble."

"Never fly without a wingman," adds Saikhan.

I curse, but I know they're right. "Roger that. And hurry the fuck up, people. Doctor Sato is waiting."

 _Please let her be waiting._

We reach the dreadnaught and the Bitches peel off, hugging the surface of the immense ship and launching missiles at any gun still firing. I slow my speed as I approach the hangar entrance, carefully looking for any signs of a ruptured hull, a gun emplacement, or the hatch of an airlock.

"How's it looking, Boss?" I ask as I continue to scan the surface.

"Like monkey are banging coconuts on the gun controls. It's kind of creepy."

"They'll still blow you up if they hit."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Kuvira replies irritably. "We're being careful — the guns can't hit us when we're this close to the hull."

"That's Major Obvious to you — oh shit!" My eyes widen as the hangar doors start to slide open in front of me. "Bitches, we got activity at the hangar."

"Copy that, Avatar. We've cleared everything close by. Coming back now."

I use my thrusters to ease my fighter over to one side, then clench my teeth in horror as I see two smoking bodies hurtle past, rolling lifelessly in the zero gravity. Next comes a fighter, it's cockpit cover ripped off, another lifeless body strapped to the pilot's seat. It tumbles off, trailing sparks from the engine. Other bits and pieces of detritus are pouring out; the hangar doors have obviously opened without the interior doors being shut and the dreadnaught's air supply is blowing into space.

"Fuck me," breathes Kuvira through the comm. "Wasn't expecting to see that."

Asami's signal still blinks from somewhere inside. "What's your missile count, Boss?"

"Still have three-quarters after running through the shooting gallery. We flying in?"

I nudge my fighter around to get a glimpse through the doors, and immediately feel the shudder of air pushing hard against it. I shake my head, willing that signal to start moving towards the opening, to no avail. "Her signal is still in the same place. Caught on something, or maybe she's still in her ship and tethered?"

"If she's clamped, there's a manual override she should be able to throw," says Saikhan. "Assuming she can get to it."

Wei's voice interrupts us. "Mothership to Avatar."

"Go ahead Mothership."

"Fleet's engaged with the troop ships, but be advised several squadrons worth of Fire System fighters have launched. Some of them have managed to get clear and are heading straight towards you. We're moving to intercept now."

"Shit!" I slam my fist against the side of my cockpit. "What the fuck else can go wrong? Bitches, go fly escort and blow those fuckers up for me."

Kuvira cuts me off. "I'm staying here and we're getting the doc. Psycho, if anything happens to Wee I'm hanging your nuts from my canopy."

"Your concern for my wellbeing is duly noted, Boss," he says sarcastically. "But copy that anyway."

Jinora huffs into the comm. "Let's see if he can even keep up with me."

"Boss—" I start to protest.

"Shut it. You're not going in there alone." Her voice is resolute. "I owe her too, Major."

I grip the controls more tightly. "Okay. Wee, Psycho, get going, and for fuck's sake don't get shot."

"Oh hell no," teases Jinora. "There's no way you're getting out of all the booze you owe us. We're coming back and you're buying."

"We'll see you," agrees Saikhan. "Bring the doc back."

Their fighters take off to catch up to the cruiser. I stare after them, my heart pounding and my mouth dry. _Stay safe_.

Kuvira slides her fighter in beside mine. "Come on, Avatar," she says quietly. "Let's do this."

The entrance to the hangar glows a sickly red as if the entrance to the underworld. I lick my lips, focused on the steady blink in my HUD. I will move heaven and earth to reach it.

"Okay, Boss. Here we go."


	19. High Flight

_._

 _Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,  
_ _And danced the skies on laughter silvered wings;  
_ _Sunward I've climbed and joined the tumbling mirth  
_ _Of sun-split clouds and done a hundred things  
_ _You have not dreamed of - Wheeled and soared and swung  
_ _High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there  
_ _I've chased the shouting wind along and flung  
_ _My eager craft through footless halls of air.  
_ _Up, up the long delirious, burning blue  
_ _I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace,  
_ _Where never lark, or even eagle flew;  
_ _And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod  
_ _The high untrespassed sanctity of space,  
_ _Put out my hand, and touched the face of God._

 _— John Gillespie Magee, Jr._

—

"See anything?" Kuvira asks. "I'd like to not get hit by another meat projectile."

I groan. "Gross, Boss. And sorry, bodies don't show up very well on the scanner."

The occasional dead body is still hurtling past us in the rush of escaping air. One slammed into Kuvira's canopy, resulting in a very un-Kuvira-like shriek about bulging eyes and smears. Our fighters are shuddering against the air flow, and keeping them on course through the launch tube is taking every ounce of piloting skill we possess.

The blip in my HUD is still blinking. Raava's backup existence on the cruiser is no longer in range and I have no idea if the R.A.a.V.A. case hosting the AI with Asami is active, let alone able to detect my proximity. Even if she can, I'm in the wrong mode to see it.

I curse under my breath. "Boss, hold position. I need to go offline for a sec, don't freak okay?"

"Wait, what—"

I put my fighter into stationary, hoping the thrusters will hold steady. I pull off my gloves and fumble with my suit, tugging my helmet off enough to reach my implant. My fingertips brush over my implant, searching for the spots that let me control the HUD settings. Under heat mode the reddish glow ahead of us glows white hot, not a good sign. I sigh and complete the switch to comms mode, crossing my fingers Raava will somehow figure out I'm here, help me find my way. For now, there's no message, and I'm disappointed even as I resettle my helmet and put my gloves back on.

"Okay, I'm back."

Kuvira snorts, but I hear the tension in her voice. "Do I even want to know?"

"Had to get at my implant in case Raava wants to chat me up in my HUD."

"I don't know if I wanted to know that or not."

"Remember, the Raava on the ship was a backup copy," I explain. "The main one is theoretically wherever Asami is."

"Copy that. Raava figures out we're here, guides us in."

"We can only hope."

I see a bright flash in the distance and an alarm flashes on my console moments before we're hit by the shockwave of the explosion. My fighter is thrown into the roof of the launch tube before tumbling back towards the surface of the ship. Sparks shower over my canopy as my wings scrape along the sides of the launch tube. The scream of distressed metal reverberates through the cockpit.

"Avatar, come in!" Kuvira cries.

I grit my teeth and wrench at the controls, eventually slowing the tumble. "I'm here, Boss." I grunt as I swing the nose of my fighter back towards the interior and run my eyes over the console, making sure no scary alarms are flashing. A hull breach would be a real downer right about now. "You okay?"

"Jammed against a support strut."

"Are you stuck?"

"Dunno, maybe." I hear her muttering under her breath. "No, I'm good, but I'm not feeling it about this wreck holding it together much longer."

"Copy that, Boss." I finally pull up next to her, wincing at the huge scrapes along the sides of her fighter. "She's gotta be in the main hangar area, or nearby. Time to ditch slow and careful, yeah?"

"Fuck yeah," Kuvira growls. "Think you can keep up?"

"Think you can dodge all the bodies, Boss?"

"Low blow, Avatar. Come on, let's get your girl and get the fuck out of this hellhole." Her fighter takes off, the glow of her engines flaring.

I slam the thrusters forward and give chase. This is better. My mind clears of everything but our race down the tube, dodging and sliding our way closer to the main hangar area. A part of me is in awe of how big this ship truly is as we continue our race towards the interior; I've parked on planetoids that were smaller.

Finally the hangar appears in our scanners, and the blip that backup-Raava had fed to my HUD now appears as one of our fighters on my screen.

"There's our missing fighter," murmurs Kuvira. "I've got life signs, Avatar. A lot of them."

"What do you mean, a lot—" I start to ask but we've burst out of the tube into the massive hangar bay. My brain can't comprehend the size of it; the cruiser could fit in here and look small. Miniature explosions are erupting everywhere and on the far side we can now see the open airlock that's bleeding the dreadnaught's air into space. Right above it, clamped into place by the emergency landing claw, is Asami's stolen fighter. It's crawling with V.A.A.T.U. cyborgs pounding and wrenching at the hull with their bare hands. The EMP may have taken out the enemy AI's ability to control them, but clearly didn't take out all the implanted humans outright.

"Fuck me," Kuvira breathes. "There must be just enough air for them to not suffocate."

One cyborg near the canopy loses his grip and is immediately whisked away by the stream of air heading out the tube. Before his place is taken I get a glimpse of a slumped figure, helmet shield activated and obscuring her face.

Asami.

Another frantic cyborg swings onto the canopy and starts pounding on it with his fists, blocking my view. My HUD flickers.

MAJOR KORRA, YOUR ARRIVAL IS TIMELY.

"Raava?" I choke.

THAT WOULD BE STATING THE OBVIOUS, MAJOR I AM THE ONLY ONE WITH ACCESS TO YOUR HEADS UP DISPLAY  
THANKFULLY YOU ARE NOW IN MY SENSOR RANGE  
IT IS CURRENTLY EXTREMELY LIMITED DUE TO THE SHIELDING

"We got contact, Avatar?" Kuvira calls out.

"That's an affirm. Let's get over the top of that mess."

Our fighters swing around and I'm relieved to get out of the raging air stream that's been buffeting us.

"So what happened to the plan of you and Asami ejecting?" I start to activate my landing gear.

DO NOT TOUCH THE STRUCTURE THERE IS STILL RESIDUAL ENERGY FROM THE EMP THAT MAY AFFECT YOUR ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS

"Boss, hold your position!" I bark out. "Raava says we've got some lingering EMR in here."

Kuvira swears as she jerks her fighter away from the wall. "Hope the thrusters can hold us steady," she grouses.

"Yeah, me too."

THE EMP CAUSED SEVERAL EXPLOSIONS ONE OF WHICH INJURED DOCTOR SATO  
I AM UNABLE TO ACTIVATE THE MANUAL OVERRIDES FOR THE ESCAPE POD AND I CANNOT ROUSE THE DOCTOR

My heart sinks as I look down at Asami's fighter, still swarmed by those damn cyborgs. I start looking around my cockpit. _Aha._

"Boss, you got one of those thruster packs with you?"

There's a pause before she gets back to me. "Negative Avatar, you going for a space walk?"

I swallow hard. "I've got one and yeah. Asami's unconscious and Raava can't engage the manual overrides for the escape pod."

"I don't like where you're going with this."

I start activating all the seals on my flight suit. "You got a better idea, Boss?"

"I'm thinking!"

I manage to grin despite my body's strong desire to throw up.

"You got a blaster?" Kuvira demands. "And how do you even know that little thruster pack is gonna hold you against that air stream?"

"Yes, and no clue. Only one way to find out."

I can almost here Kuvira's teeth grinding through the comm. "Okay, you're gonna sit on the front of my ride and I'm going to get you as close as I can. I'll stay in my cockpit but opened up so I can help take out that mob."

"Boss—"

"Don't you fucking argue with me, Korra. I'm a better shot than you anyway."

This is true, so I bite down on my lingering objections. Kuvira has already flipped her fighter upside down next to me and I see her canopy retracting even as mine opens up. Without the protection of the canopy the sound of the escaping air is deafening. There's another sound as well, just barely audible over the roar of the air stream; insane gibbering and furious screaming that makes my hair stand up.

"Raava, can you still hear me?" I shout over the din.

YES MAJOR KORRA

"I'm coming over to you guys, stand by."

I hit the release of my harness and push myself up so that I'm crouched against my seat, one hand braced against the side of the cockpit, holding me in place. My blaster is secured against my hip while I wiggle into the thruster pack. I have about a ten foot divide to get onto the nose of Kuvira's fighter, so I mentally cross my fingers, launch myself out and slam against the smooth metal, grabbing at it desperately. With a grunt of effort I swing my legs around and get a good grip with my knees. My hands are shaking as I grip my blaster. Below us a couple of the horde have noticed us, immediately launching themselves in our direction. The force of the suction underneath them immediately sweeps them away and as Kuvira brings her fighter closer I lean forward and wrap my prosthetic arm around the nose, beyond thankful that my new parts are stronger than my old ones. With my other arm I brace my blaster and start sighting for targets.

"Try not to shoot at the cockpit, Boss."

"Thank you, Captain—I'm sorry, _Major_ Obvious," Kuvira retorts, her sarcasm clear even through the cacophony. Out of the corner of my eye I see her bring up both arms, a blaster in each hand. "About to add to my whiskey tally, Avatar!"

Show off. However, her cocky attitude infects me with a little more confidence and I take careful aim, knowing we need to get rid of those berserkers before I can get to Asami. One by one we pick them off, their bodies flung back and disappearing up the dark maw of the launch tube. I'm starting to think we've almost done it.

MAJOR KORRA DOCTOR VARRICK IS EMERGING FROM HIS COMA AND HE HAS A MALFUNCTIONING V.A.A.T.U. IMPLANT

Oh fuck.

"Boss!" I scream. "I'm going over, try to keep them off me!" I activate the thruster pack and get ready to jump.

"Are you crazy?" Kuvira demands shrilly. "There's too many of those assholes still over there!"

"Varrick's inside the cockpit and he's about to wake up!"

"Oh fuck—"

I jump and fire the thrusters full bore to counteract the deadly suction of the air stream. I come in hard and hit the back of the fighter near the tail, my left hand grabbing frantically for a handhold. I feel my left knee give out and I scream as I feel the sensation of extreme pain before it goes numb.

"Korra!"

The remaining cyborgs are clawing their way towards me even as Kuvira continues to knock them off. I grit my teeth and bring up my blaster as they get close. I freeze in horror as I see their faces — their lips are blue from oxygen deprivation and their eyes, ears and nose are trickling blood, and their reaching hands are shredded from trying to rip apart the fighter to get to Asami. Now they're after me.

I can hear Kuvira cursing but she can't take them out fast enough. "Move your ass, Major!" Her shout jerks me back to attention and I swing up my blaster, taking out the last two.

"Holy fucking shit!" I realize I'm crying hysterically and bite hard on my lip, hoping the pain will help clear my head. The copper taste of my blood coats my tongue but I'm able to breathe again.

"You with me Avatar?" Kuvira sounds breathless, and I look up to her staring at me.

I wave up at her. "I'm gonna have nightmares for the rest of my fucking life but I'm okay." I start dragging myself along the fuselage. My left leg isn't really able to do much but I'm able to work my towards the canopy. "Almost there Raava," I rasp.

PLEASE HURRY MAJOR KORRA

In front of me I see a figure pulling itself up from the jump seat, movements jerky and slow. Varrick. The implant on his neck is sparking wildly.

"Raava, is Asami's flight suit sealed?"

I CANNOT DETERMINE THAT MAJOR KORRA

I make it to the canopy as Varrick suddenly flails wildly and starts pounding against it. To my horror I see Asami start to stir and Varrick whirls around, reaching for her.

"Stay the fuck away from her!" I scream, firing through the canopy in desperation. The glass explodes and Varrick twists around, his howls cut off as I put two shots into his chest. I reach through the broken glass for the emergency canopy release, wincing as I feel my flight suit rip against the jagged shards. "Hang on, Doc," I mutter as I strain against the release handle. "Come on, come on, come on," I chant, feeling increasingly frantic. Finally it snaps open and I jolt back as the canopy starts to retract. I grab Varrick's body and yank it out of the way, not even bothering to watch it topple away.

"Asami!" I shout. "Come on, baby, wake up for me." I'm relieved to see her suit appears fully sealed but my heart sinks when I see she's slumped back over again. I reach down and pop the release for her harness, looking around to where Kuvira is waiting above us.

"Boss, she's still out. Get closer and I'll shove her up into your jump seat."

"Copy that."

I gently pull Asami into my arms. Behind her face shield a trickle of blood trails from her nostrils and her skin is pallid. Above us I hear the whine of Kuvira's engines as she flies in close, her canopy still retracted. She reaches up and helps me pull Asami in behind her.

"Okay, can we get the hell out of here now?"

I shake my head. "I need to get Raava's case. I'll do that while you get her strapped in."

YOU DO NOT HAVE TIME MAJOR KORRA

"Shut up, Raava. I'm grabbing you."

As I reach back into the cockpit of Asami's fighter we hear a deep groaning rumble and the shriek of tortured metal. All around us huge plumes of flame burst out of the hangar walls and almost immediately funnel into glowing tornados sucked towards the launch tube.

"You sure know how to throw a party, Avatar!" Kuvira shouts.


	20. Hear My Soul Speak

**[AN]** **Aaaaand we're back to get the latest goings on in the United Republic of Planets. :)**

* * *

 _"Hear my soul speak:_

 _The very instant that I saw you did_

 _My heart fly to your service, there resides_

 _to make me slave to it…"_

 _—William Shakespeare_

—

"Close up, close up, close up!" I scream at Kuvira, gesturing madly at her open cockpit. I can tell she wants to argue but the temperature is rising as the flames continue to roar unabated. Through her helmet I see her jaw tighten as she slams her hand down on the controls, lowering the canopy.

"Hurry the fuck up," she growls over the comm. "Need to get you flying."

Above us there's another, smaller, explosion. I look up in time to see my fighter engulfed in a burst of flame, overwhelming the holding thrusters and sending it tumbling into the stream of flames roaring up the launch tube.

"Fuck! There goes my ride!"

Kuvira jerks around and swears when she sees my fighter disappear up the chute. "We can stuff you in the jump seat with Asami," she says doubtfully.

"You know damn well that's not possible," I shout, struggling to haul Varrick's body out of the cockpit and trying hard not to look at the gaping holes in his chest. "Bolin can't fit in there all by himself. No way two of us will squeeze in. Raava!"

YES MAJOR KORRA

"Can this thing still fly?"

NEGATIVE MAJOR KORRA

THE EMP COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS OF THIS VESSEL

MAY I ALSO REMIND YOU THE CANOPY IS SEVERELY COMPROMISED

"Well, shit. Maybe there's something else I can use." I look frantically around the hangar for anything flyable, but anything that might have still been berthed was already gone or destroyed by the flames.

HOWEVER THE STASIS POD IS STILL READY TO BE USED

"Raava, you're a fucking genius!" I crow. "If you had a body I'd kiss you right now."

I AM REASONABLY CERTAIN DOCTOR SATO WOULD NOT APPRECIATE SUCH AN ACTION

"Look who's developing a sense of humor," I chortle. "Hey Boss! Raava just reminded me about the stasis pod!"

Kuvira groans. "You are _not_ going to stuff yourself in a body box."

"You got a better idea, Captain? Now's the time." I wriggle out of the thruster pack and quickly pull myself into the cockpit. I manage to get a hand around the release lever, giving it a hard pull. After a moment, I feel a thud as the escape hatch pops open. "There's nothing else in this hangar and it's not like I can ride up the chute sitting on the nose of your fighter surrounded by flames."

I can practically hear her grinding her teeth over the comm. "Okay, you get in the pod and we load you into my fighter before we leave."

"Too risky," I reply as I manage to reach through the hatch and get the pod lid raised. "I have to be in the pod before I eject, and you'd have to fight the airstream to pull me in. Just let it shoot me out the launch tube. It's not like a little fire is gonna hurt this thing — they're supposed to be able to survive a re-entry."

"I fucking hate all your ideas today," she tells me angrily.

Just—" I pause. "If we emerge into shit, just leave me floating for a bit. Promise me you'll get her to safety."

"I'm not fucking leaving you!"

" _Promise_ me, Boss," I insist. "I won't know the difference once I'm in the pod and I'll just look like the junk that's already floating around. You can find me later."

"Korra," she starts to say, but another explosion drowns out whatever she might have said. Another huge plume of fire blooms from below us, only the force of air up the launch tube preventing it from reaching us.

"Get out of here now!" I bellow. "If nobody's shooting at you, you can be waiting to catch me. Otherwise," I manage a short laugh. "It's your whiskey you're losing out on if you don't come get me eventually."

There's another explosion, closer now. Her fighter's thrusters are slipping, no longer able to hold her in place. We both know it's time for her to go. It's only a matter of time before Asami's fighter is ripped off its tether if not engulfed.

"Death will not save you from the whiskey you owe me, Major Pain In My Ass," she declares. I can hear the tears in her voice as she flips her fighter around and guns it for the launch tube. "See you on the other side."

"Fly straight, Boss," I whisper as I see the flames lick at her hull. Despite the cacophony she hears me though I barely hear her own quiet reply.

"Ferrets forever, Avatar."

As her fighter disappears I turn my gaze to the inside of the cockpit. I see a square metal case shoved into the space where the pilot's feet go. I can't imagine how Asami flew with it sitting in the way like that and it has to be the AI. I give it a couple of thuds. "Raava, is this you?"

YES MAJOR KORRA

DOCTOR SATO WELDED ME IN HERE ALONG WITH A PORTABLE POWER SUPPLY

I ESTIMATE I HAVE 14 MORE HOURS BEFORE I RUN OUT OF POWER

I grab the case and pull it out with a grunt, wrestling it onto my lap before sliding us both into the stasis pod. "Hopefully it won't take that long to get picked up." I shove the case as close to my feet as I can before reaching up to pull the lid closed over us. A faint light flickers on, revealing the controls and a face mask attached to the pod by a short tube. "Sorry I won't be awake to keep you company."

WHILE I DO NOT REQUIRE COMPANIONSHIP YOUR SENTIMENT IS APPRECIATED

I pull the mask into place over my face and hit the switch that starts the stasis process and prepares to eject the pod. "Such a sweet talker, Raava."

TO QUOTE CAPTAIN KUVIRA I WILL SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE

THEN YOU CAN MORE FULLY EXPLAIN THIS COLLOQUIALISM AS I AM ONLY EXTRAPOLATING THE IMPLIED MEANING

I smile even as I feel myself succumbing to the stasis process. I am only barely aware of impact of an explosion finally ripping Asami's fighter off the wall, and with my last coherent thought I hope the pod manages to get clear and holy fuck do I deserve a drink after all this.

—

 _Beep._

 _Beep._

 _Beep._

Quiet, endless, beeping.

A muffled hiss.

Repeated.

"Shouldn't she be awake by now?" A familiar voice, but I'm too fuzzy to put a name to it.

"Any time now. I promise there's nothing really to worry about," comes the muted response. "Her vitals are very encouraging."

Another voice pipes up. "It's probably just as well. She's gonna go ballistic when she sees what we did to her apartment."

Slowly, more awareness comes to my body. I feel a canula across my upper lip and the coarse cloth of a hospital gown across my torso. I try to open my eyes but see nothing but darkness, and the voices are somewhat muffled. My stomach drops as I realize that once again, I have bandages covering my head.

"Dammit, not again," I rasp.

There's a clatter of footsteps and thuds against my bed.

"Hey, you're awake!"

"And grouchy already, geez."

"Come on you slacker, we've been waiting for you for _ages_."

"Will somebody please tell me what the fuck is going on?" I reach out with one arm and smack the nearest body.

"Ow!"

"Everyone, please step back from my patient."

I hear shuffling as my tormentors retreat. A warm hand touches my wrist and my neck.

"Major, it's Doctor Moon. Do you remember me?"

I struggle to sit up. "Hey Doc, of course I remember you. Last time I saw you, you were bleeding a lot."

She laughs lightly. "I'm perfectly fine now, thank you, Major. But now it's time to check your injuries."

I feel her hands at my temple as she starts unwinding the bandages from my head.

"Now, what's the last thing you remember?"

I think hard. "We found Asami, and we were trying to get her out. I had to get into a stasis pod because I lost my fighter." I frown. "I think there was an explosion as I jettisoned, but I don't really remember much after that. The pod was putting me under pretty fast."

I hear a sharp exhale of breath. "Good, no memory loss. You took a hit to the head due at some point during your evacuation which broke your implant and damaged your prosthetic eye. We have replaced both, though your new eye almost probably will need some adjustment." With a final tug, the bandages are freed, and I blink furiously in the light, waiting for my vision to clear.

"Don't worry, Avatar," drawls Kuvira. "You're still as ugly as always."

With concerted effort I focus on the group of people leaning against the wall opposite me. I see three very familiar faces and break out into a huge grin. "Bitches!"

Jinora and Kuvira pile on as Opal engulfs me in a huge hug.

"Hey there, did you miss me?" she teases.

"Fuck, Mad, it's good to see you up and around." I pull back slightly to look at her shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

She pulls back the collar of her shirt to show me the newly healed skin. "Gonna tattoo over the scars cause I'm stuck with 'em and they suck, but no lasting internal damage. Doc says I'll be flight certified again in a month, tops."

"If I may take a look at my patient," Doctor Moon leans past Opal with a scope to check out my eye. "Appears to be operating normally. Are you experiencing any blurriness?"

"I did at first, but seems okay now," I reply.

She smiles and pats my hand. "I'll be back later." She gives the Bitches a stern look. "Don't tire her out."

A chorus of "Yes, ma'ams" follow her out the door. More quiet beeping captures my attention and I turn to see a pale figure lying quiet and still an another bed across the room, dark hair splayed across the pillow. I gasp and Kuvira quickly lays a hand on my shoulder.

"She's okay, I promise, but she was pretty badly hurt and she's going to be recovering for a while."

I wince. "What happened?"

Kuvira pulls a chair around to the side of my bed and sinks down, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze. "She got pierced by some metal fragments that turned her leg into hamburger. She lost a lot of blood in the process, obviously. She was able to get a tourniquet onto herself before she passed out which was good cause otherwise she could have died."

Tears spring from my eyes and I take a shuddering breath. "But she's okay."

Kuvira grins crookedly at me. "She's got some new parts like us now, but yeah. She's on some good pain meds right now, so she's mostly been conked out."

"Fuck." I throw the blankets off of me and struggle to sit up. "Help me up."

"Whoa, Major," Opal joins Kuvira in trying to keep me in bed, Jinora hovering anxiously at the foot of my bed. "Where are you going?"

I level a fierce glare at them. "I'm going over there right fucking now, so you can either help me or get the fuck out of my way."

There's a brief pause then hands are under my arms, half walking, half carrying me over to lay me onto Asami's bed against her uninjured side. I instantly start to relax as I'm able to see for myself that she's still with me, that we didn't fail her.

"Thanks Bitches," I murmur as I curl carefully around her, lacing my fingers in hers and closing my eyes. "Opal, don't get your ink without me. That's an order."

"Copy that, Major," she chuckles. "Skin needs to toughen up a bit more anyway."

I feel a gentle kiss against my forehead. "Sleep," Jinora whispers. "We'll be around."

"Damn right we will," agrees Kuvira gruffly as the Bitches make their way to the door. "You two need constant supervision."

I sigh, feeling myself relax against the warmth next to me. "Copy that, Boss." Under my thumb Asami's pulse throbs faintly in her wrist. I count the beats until I sink into oblivion.

I awake to the sensation of soft fingers tracing patterns on my arm. I blink sleepily and lift my head to find verdant green eyes watching me.

"Hey," I whisper, my hand coming up to cup Asami's face. "How long you have been awake?"

She closes her eyes at my touch. "Not long."

I lean in and press a kiss against her temple. She sighs and leans into me as my thumb strokes her cheek. "I'm so incredibly mad at you, you know."

Her eyes snap open and immediately fill with tears. "I know. I'm so sorry, Korra, I just didn't know what else to do—"

I cut her off with a more forceful kiss against her lips, swallowing her apologies. She whimpers as our tongues brush against each other briefly before I pull back. She licks her lips, her pale cheeks now showing a faint blush.

"Promise me you'll never do something like that ever again," I threaten.

Asami laughs softly. "One suicide mission per lifetime is my limit I think."

"Good," I grumble as I nuzzle into the soft skin of her neck.

There's a perfunctory knock at the door followed by an invasion of Bitches.

"Oh thank fuck, you're both awake," says Kuvira in relief. "And stop making out — Izumi wants a mission debriefing and she's on her way over here."

I groan and nod, but make no move to get up. "As long as I can stay here she can have whatever she wants."

"Good to know, Major," says Admiral Izumi from the doorway. "You're not usually so amenable."

I snort as the Bitches snap to attention.

"Standing is hard right now, Admiral, I hope it's okay if I stay where I'm at."

"Of course. At ease, please." Izumi nods in thanks as Opal drops from attention and slides over a chair. "To be honest, if I was in your position I wouldn't want to move either." She smiles at how I'm still cuddled against Asami.

Asami pulls me closer to her. " _I_ certainly prefer this arrangement," she says archly.

Kuvira chokes back a laugh as Izumi shakes her head. "Now that we have that settled, I'd like to hear what the hell happened out there."

Kuvira and I describe the events that led to the destruction of the dreadnaught and the subsequent rescue mission and fleet engagement. We both instinctively avoid mentioning Raava's part of Asami's mission. After I tell Izumi about my evacuation from the hangar, Kuvira turns to me.

"You were right to think there might be trouble when we exited, but it wasn't the kind we were thinking." She shakes her head ruefully. "The explosions got bad enough that the dreadnaught was being pushed towards Terra and was getting really close to turning into a mother of an asteroid hit."

"Holy shit," I mutter, my eyes wide.

Kuvira nods soberly. "The fleet had routed the troop ships and were heading back when they realized what was happening." She looks over at Jinora who picks up the story.

"Raava calculated a way to divert the trajectory by having the fleet fire pretty much every missile we had at this one section of the dreadnaught, then she flew in there and rammed the cruiser against that spot to seal the deal. It created just enough of a course correction to miss."

I sit back, stunned. I look at Opal who seems to know what I'm about to ask.

"Raava had the twins load everybody into the shuttle and evacuate." She smiled slightly. "Wei said she sounded like Song during our first week of boot camp, ordering everybody around."

"And then she scuttled the ship," I murmur, shaking my head.

"Excuse me," interrupts Izumi. "Who is Raava?"

We all look at each other, not sure how to explain. Kuvira catches my eye and nods, her eyes flickering towards Asami.

"That, Admiral," I say carefully. "Is a bit of a long story."

A story that, for now, is not going to include any mention of a certain sealed metal box.


	21. Brave the Gates of the Underworld

**[AN] We're almost done - one more chapter and this tale is finished.** **But...**

* * *

 _Out of your calling_

 _you braved the gates of the Underworld_

 _and crossed the borderless river on your heartbeat_

 _and tricked the Dark Angel in his own realm…_

 _Returning, you will remember your mission:_

 _To serve the soul's remembering;_

 _to go among people as dream ambassador_

 _opening ways for soul to be heard and honored._

 _Let the world be your playground, not your prison…_

 _—Robert Moss_

—

Izumi stares at us, over thirty years of military experience allowing her to keep her face expressionless, but as we explain who Raava is and our suspicions around the V.A.A.T.U. cyborgs her gaze flicks back and forth between me and Kuvira before finally resting on Asami. She then leans back in her chair and steeples her fingers together before she closes her eyes, deep in thought.

I snuggle back into Asami's shoulder, and squeeze her more tightly. My sense of relief of having her next to me overrides any normal sense of propriety in showing affection to my girlfriend in the presence of a flag officer. I'm simply too sore, too tired, and too comfortable to care at the moment. I trust Izumi enough to not have a unreasonable reaction to the idea of Raava, but I'm also firm in my resolve that I will do anything to protect her should the need arise. The AI has more than earned my loyalty.

Finally Izumi opens her eyes and meets my gaze. "There are those in High Command who, should they discover the full truth of this, would demand Doctor Sato be imprisoned and all of her research confiscated in the interests of the security of the Republic."

I stiffen at these words, and out of the corner of my eye I see the Bitches tense.

"However," the admiral continues, "it is also clear to me that the greatest fault of our recent difficulties was the result of humans acting through greed, and a lust for power, not because of the actions of Doctor Sato, or her… creation."

We all digest this comment.

"Bumi was right about you, Admiral," says Kuvira after a moment, her eyes dancing with glee.

Izumi glances at her curiously. "What do you mean, Captain?"

"He said you and Tenzin were the only ones in High Command worth pissing on if you were on fire."

Izumi blinks, then bursts out in loud laughter. We stare at her open-mouthed, having never seen her ever show more than a faint smile.

"Oh, I do love that man," she chortles. After a long moment she took several deep breaths, composing herself. Finally she shakes her head, and the cool façade of the Admiral of the Fleet returns. "It's a pity that your AI was lost in the destruction of your ship. The potential of such a being in the right circumstances is immeasurable."

Kuvira and I meet gazes again, and I look up at Asami. She meets my gaze, then nods slowly. I push myself up to a sitting position, meeting Izumi's gaze steadily.

"There's one last thing we should tell you, Admiral," I say carefully.

She says nothing, merely waits for me to continue.

"The AI on the cruiser was a backup, loaded onto the ship's mainframe. The original AI accompanied Doctor Sato on her mission into the dreadnaught. When I evacuated via the stasis pod, I was able to retrieve her case from Doctor Sato's fighter and bring it with me in the pod."

Izumi nods in understanding. "And where is the case now?"

I look over at Kuvira.

Kuvira clears her throat. "After Major Korra was retrieved from the pod, I took the case and stored it in her apartment. One of us has been at the apartment at all times on watch, just in case."

This I didn't know. "Who's there now?" I ask her curiously.

"Bumi," she tells me. Then she grins. "He's decided your decorating style left a little to be desired and has taken it upon himself to spice it up a little."

I groan. "That can't be good."

"Oh, can't wait until you see it," Opal smirks.

"Is the AI currently online?" Izumi asks after a moment.

"Not as far as we know, ma'am," Kuvira replies.

"She said she only had limited power left," I say slowly. "So if she's still in the shielded case, she's probably offline because her batteries are dead."

Jinora nods. "Mad and I were going to break her out of the case, but realized we weren't sure how Asami had welded her in there in the first place, so we decided to leave it for now so we didn't accidentally damage anything."

Asami breathes out a huge sigh of relief. "I can give you a breakdown of the case's internals, but she's safe enough for now if you'd rather wait until I get discharged."

"So she's not lost after all," murmurs Izumi. "That's good news."

The room starts to spin and I sink back into Asami's embrace with relief. Whatever happens next will have to happen with me lying down.

Izumi stands up, regarding us all with a serious expression. "Let's file this information as a Fleet Secret, shall we? Any mention of it outside of those of us involved with Doctor Sato's protection detail is grounds for a court martial." She focuses on Asami. "Doctor Sato, we will discuss further logistics with regards to the AI when you are discharged from the hospital. I look forward to working with you both."

I can feel Asami relax under me. "Yes, Admiral," she says in obvious relief. "I'm at your disposal."

"Thank you, Doctor Sato. And thank all of you," she says seriously. "I strongly suspect we wouldn't be here now without your efforts. I will not forget this, and I will make sure others do not as well."

With that she salutes us, returned crisply by the Bitches and a little more lackadaisically from me, and leaves.

As the door clicks shut behind her I reach out and fist bump Kuvira. "That went weirdly well."

"Fuck yeah."

—

"I'm going to kill him," I seethe, turning towards Asami who's standing next to me in shock. "I'm going to torture him until he's dead. Then I'm going to have you resurrect him so I can kill him again."

The Bitches (including Saikhan) are collapsed against the wall, howling with laughter. Asami is biting her lip, her eyes wide as she takes in my apartment's new decor.

"I don't know, Major," she finally says, her eyes twinkling. "It has the advantage of being unique."

I glare at her until she gives up and starts giggling uncontrollably. Feeling put upon I stalk over to the object of my discontent. "Why in the _hell_ would I want a life-sized painting of Bumi wearing a loincloth on my wall?" I demand. Tears are streaming down the faces of my crew and my girlfriend is practically choking herself trying to reign in her laughter. "And why is he holding grapes?"

"Oh, oh, oh," chokes Opal, gasping for breath. "Wait until you see the bathroom!"

Asami pushes me aside and limps into my bathroom, still is heavily reliant on her cane but getting better all the time. She looks around curiously for a moment, clearly not seeing anything out of the ordinary. The she tilts her head and stares at the ceiling. Her hand goes to her mouth and her face turns bright red. I start to walk over to her and she looks at me in consternation.

"Um, honey," she says, her voice shaking with repressed glee. "Maybe you don't want to see this right now?"

I don't bother arguing with her, merely pick her up and deposit her carefully in the hallway. Once in the bathroom I steel myself and look up, only to find myself staring at the Bitches, naked save for flowing pieces of filmy cloth and strategically placed fig leaves. They're all wearing wings and holding bows and heart-tipped arrows. Bumi even included Saikhan, except in his case I got an uncovered butt shot, his left cheek sporting a heart-shaped tattoo.

I sigh heavily, leaning against the sink. Out in the living room I hear Kuvira gasp out, "Did we mention the kitchen yet?"

I sprint to my kitchen, the laughter only increasing in volume as I storm past the collapsed pile of sniggering pilots. On either side of my kitchen window, in all their bare-assed glory, are Wei and Wing. They're standing facing each other, but they're turned towards the center of the room, blowing kisses. Each are thankfully sporting an apron, the words "Kiss the Cook!" brightly emblazoned.

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE, BUMI!"

—

I finally manage to push everybody out of my apartment a little past midnight. Bumi had eventually arrived with the twins, bearing an enormous box of food which I allowed him to set down on the dining room table before I started pummeling him. He allowed it for about ten seconds then reminded me that he had been the unit commander of the United Special Forces for a reason and essentially tied me in a knot to the general hilarity of the assembled onlookers.

Doctor Moon and Colonel Tenzin had also joined us, catching us up on a lot of details on what happened planetside while we had spent weeks hiding out in random parts of space. The most important thing was that Bolin was back in a medically induced coma but seemed to be responding well to his treatment, at least for now.

I'm now collapsed in my bed, giving thanks that Bumi's artistic vision had not extended to my bedroom. Asami is tucked warmly in my arms, her fingers once again tracing patterns on my skin. Despite the joy of the evening, I feel restless and discontent. I run my hand down Asami's side, pulling her closer as I bury my face in the crook of her neck.

"You can't sleep, can you?" she says quietly.

"Neither can you, apparently."

She rolls over so that she's resting on top of me, her chin propped on her crossed arms. I run my fingers gently through her hair, tucking a stray curl behind her ear.

"I can tell how tense how you are," she tells me. "You got quieter over time tonight too."

I grimace. "You seem to know me pretty well."

"We spent weeks in close proximity on the ship after weeks together at the hospital, not to mention the weeks we just spent in the hospital again. I spent most of that time watching you closely."

I smile and shake my head, leaning in to kiss forehead. "Stalker."

I yelp as she pinches my side. We lay quietly together for a while, she giving me time to gather my thoughts.

"Tomorrow we're burying another friend." I say at last. "I keep wondering if there was something I could have done differently, if somehow I could brought him home in one piece." My voice breaks. "I don't want to be responsible for any more good people dying!"

She engulfs me, pulling me tight against her. "You are not responsible for Song's death, nor Bolin's brother or Admiral Izumi's son. Other people were responsible and you and everyone else were made to suffer the consequences." She gently trails her fingers along my jaw, her eyes shining in the dim light. "I remember what the Admiral said to you that day in physical therapy."

I try to think back, but my brain is feeling too fuzzy.

"She said there's no shame in sorrow, and no dishonor for surviving." She nuzzles my cheek, her breath warm against my skin. "All we can do is continue to strive, and try to create the world we want to live in."

I cradle her face in my hands and brush my lips across hers. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm so fucking grateful."

She smiles and shakes her head. "I know exactly what you did, and what you will continue to do. You're just you." Her nose bumps mine playfully as she works her hands under my shirt. "Now let me show you my appreciation for it."

And she does.

* * *

 **fear not, there's gonna be a sequel...**

 **:)**


	22. Our Revels Now Are Ended

**[AN] Our last chapter, *SNIFF***

 **Thank you all who came along on this journey with me, hope you enjoy this!**

 **:)**

* * *

 _Our revels now are ended. These our actors,_  
 _As I foretold you, were all spirits and_  
 _Are melted into air, into thin air:_  
 _And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,_  
 _The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,_  
 _The solemn temples, the great globe itself,_  
 _Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve_  
 _And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,_  
 _Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff_  
 _As dreams are made on, and our little life_  
 _Is rounded with a sleep._

 _— William Shakespeare_

—

This time it does rain. I stand at attention next to Kuvira, with Opal, Jinora, and the twins behind us. Bumi stands nearby with Asami, courteously holding an umbrella over her. Saikhan is next to the coffin holding the remains of Sergeant Song, his face set as the honor guard folds the United Forces flag that had been draped over the coffin. He accepts the carefully folded bundle before turning and presenting it to Song's family, his wife and son clinging to each other with red-rimmed eyes. As he stands, Admiral Izumi approaches and presents an engraved box bearing Song's posthumous medal of valor. The rest of us bear ours on our dress uniforms, but with a black strap across the golden star in honor of our friend.

"Company, present!" Izumi's Sargeant-Major bellows as she steps back and salutes the coffin. We join her as Song's coffin is carefully lowered and the honor guard fires their final salute. I see the tears streaming down Asami's face as she stands next to Bumi. I feel my own tears threaten to fall and clench my jaw.

"Company, dismissed!"

Kuvira turns to me, her own eyes bright. We look over at where Saikhan stands with Song's family, his hand on the shoulder of Song's son. The young man is nodding at something Saikhan is saying, his face breaking out in a tremulous smile. His mother embraces Saikhan briefly before taking her son's hand and slowly walking to where their limo was waiting. Saikhan watches them leave before turning and joining us.

Asami comes up and slides her arm into mine, pressing against me.

"I would like that to be my last funeral for a while," I mutter. I get grim nods in response.

Bumi clears his throat. "I do believe we owe the good Sergeant a toast or five, and I will graciously buy the first round. We should leave these fine folk to their rest," he continues, gesturing around him. "Instead let us go remind ourselves that we're alive."

Saikhan grunts. "That's the smartest thing I think I've ever heard you say. I'm in."

"Bitches never turn down an opportunity to drink," Kuvira declares.

"Nor do flight engineers," adds Wei with a grin.

I look at Asami who smiles and nods. "We're in too. Between the lot of us I have no doubt we'll have a lot of good stories to tell about the man who made us hate him in bootcamp."

"And love him when we finally graduated," finished Wing.

Opal snorts and rolls her eyes. "Speak for yourself."

We laugh as we walk away, our sadness tempered. There's no doubt we'll be staggering and probably sick by the end of the night, but we also know Song wouldn't have it any other way.

—

"Boss to Avatar, do you copy?"

"Go ahead, Boss."

"Package is delivered. Repeat, package is delivered."

"Copy that, Boss. ETA is fifteen minutes."

"We'll have her ready to go, Avatar. I just hope you don't get court-martialed for this because I do not want to be squadron commander."

I smirk. "Don't worry, Boss. I got special dispensation. Guess getting the Medal of Valor is good for a favor too. You should try it."

"Ha! I'm gonna save my favor for the next time somebody tries to throw me in the brig."

"You'll need it soon, then."

"Ha, ha, Major."

The sun is setting as I approach my destination. The sky is a beautiful medley of pinks and purples with the occasional wisp of cloud. The first stars are starting to emerge and the lights of the city are popping on.

The gleaming white tower of the University Hospital comes into view, blazing with lights. I chuckle as I see a large circle of flares outlining a temporary landing pad in the parking lot near the main entrance.

My comm squawks and I hear Jinora's voice this time. "I assume that's you coming in, Avatar?"

"Right as usual, Wee. Ready for me?"

"The locals are temporarily appeased. The case of whiskey helped, but we have to hurry."

"Copy that."

"And here she comes."

I can't look as I focus on bringing the fighter in for as soft a landing as I can manage, given that the parking lot hasn't really been designed to be a space fighter landing pad. As soon as I've secured the ship I pop the canopy and look over to see Asami next to a beaming Opal, looking shocked and holding a huge bouquet of flowers in her hands.

"Korra, what are you doing?" she squeaks.

I grin as I climb out, dropping lightly to the ground before bowing to her.

"Well," I drawl as I shake out a flight suit and hold it out for her. "I thought it was time I finally took you on a date. Do you like your flowers?"

She looks at me, then looks at the fighter. The security guards all lean in closer, waiting expectantly for her reaction. Her jaw opens and shuts a few more times, then she starts to laugh and throws her arms around my neck. "You're insane, has anyone ever told you that?

"Hey, I promised you the best first date ever, and I intend to deliver."

Kuvira comes up to us with a new flight helmet in her hand, her own contribution to tonight's festivities. The name "Doc Bitch" is stenciled neatly over the visor.

"Better hurry, you two, or you'll miss it."

Asami hands her the flowers and her lab coat and wiggles into the flight suit. She passes her hand over her new helmet and suddenly hugs Kuvira tightly.

"I'm proud to be your Bitch, Captain," she says slyly as she steps back.

Kuvira throws back her hand and howls with laughter and Jinora and Opal sandwich Asami in a huge hug.

I roll my eyes and tug on her hand. "Come on, we're gonna be late!"

After we're buckled in, I close up the canopy. "Requesting clearance for takeoff."

I see the Bitches shooing everybody back. "Get the hell outta here, Avatar," calls Kuvira over the comm. "Bitches out."

I launch us into the air, doing a quick barrel roll as we leave. Asami shrieks and swats the top of my helmet. "This is going to be a bad date if you make me throw up!"

"Sorry, couldn't help myself. The rest of the ride will be quiet, promise."

We keep climbing, the sky growing darker as we zoom towards the outer atmosphere.

"So where are we going?" Asami asks after a few minutes.

"To see the sunset."

"Um, don't we need to be somewhere on the planet for that?"

I smirk. "Nope, we're doing to do it from out here. And then," I turn myself around to wink at her. "We're gonna turn around and watch it rise again." I fumble for the small basket I'd stashed awkwardly under my seat and pull out two hydration bags. "I was gonna do champagne, but that's not a good idea in zero grav, so you'll have to settle for the best wine I could find. Just don't tell me how good it is because I'm stuck with water. Izumi has broken enough rules for me already. If I drink while I fly she'll make me wish I'd never been born."

She laughs, looking dubiously at her hydration pack, then takes a cautious sip.

"Oh this is lovely, thank you."

I feel her hand on my shoulder and I reach back and lace my fingers through hers. Together we watch the sun slip past the horizon, leaving us on the dark side of the planet. I flip the fighter around and start it coasting in the other direction.

"Now for the sunrise."

She squeezes my fingers. "And then what, Major Korra?"

"Then I'm going to land this fighter, take you home, and make you scream for mercy for the rest of the night."

She laughs softly, then caresses my cheek with her fingertips. "Life will never be boring with you, will it?"

"I sincerely hope not." I kiss her fingers as they cross my lips. "Here it comes."

The curved edge of the planet blinks into a golden glowing arc, and as we fly towards it, the sun seems to leap out from the horizon, the canopy automatically increasing the UV filter as the light floods over us.

"I will never get over how beautiful that is," I murmur. I kiss her fingers again. "Or how beautiful you are."

She doesn't speak for a moment, then rubs her thumb over my lip before withdrawing her hand.

"Take me home, Avatar," she breathes. "I intend to collect on your promise."

My core tightens as her voice sends a bolt of lightening down my spine. This amazing woman has created a new being, saved a planet, and captured my heart. I will do anything and everything for her. And to her. My hands trembling from excitement, I jerk the flight stick towards home and hit max thrusters.

"Copy that, Doc!"

—

On the far side of the galaxy, a battered space ship lands on a glacier of methane near a rocky outcropping, the metal hull creaking as it settles into position. Floodlights burst out, bathing the ice in a harsh light. The nearby rock seems to absorb the light, making it hard to make out any detail. After a moment, a ramp comes down, revealing two figures kitted out in heated suits to ward of the negative 400 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures. They approach the rock cautiously, stopping often to take readings.

Finally they stand before it. The taller figure holds up a dull metal box, tapping a few worn spots on its sides before pressing it against the rock. After a long moment there's a sound of snapping as the rock cracks open, revealing a metal door. A second fumble with the metal box opens this inner door, and the two figures step through, the door closing behind them.

They emerge into a huge cavern, faintly lit by the dull glow of lights that are now turning on. It is practically hot compared to the planet's surface at a mere negative twenty degrees. After several careful readings of their insertments they cautiously pop open their helmets.

"Wow, breathable air, who knew?" said the smaller man.

"The people responsible for this were extremely intelligent," his companion responded.

"Not too intelligent to die," the first man snorts.

The taller man shakes his head. "Happens to everyone eventually."

"I was seriously starting to wonder if you were just on some wild goose chase. I guess I was wr—" The shorter man comes to a stop, looking at the barrel of a blaster now leveled at him. "What the fuck, Unalaq?"

Unalaq smiles mirthlessly, his hand rock steady. "You are a useful man, Hotah, and have been invaluable to me. But you are also a mercenary, and your loyalties are questionable at best."

He fires two shots into the smaller man's chest. His face remains impassive as he observes the man die quickly. Satisfied, he pockets his blaster and turns to look out over his discovery. The secret doomsday solution of the old Terran Galactic Empire lay in front of him. It was now his to control.

He knew his role in this life. He was an agent of destiny, and he was going to fulfill his role to the fullest.

* * *

 **Notes:**

 **And so we come to an end of the first installment of Galactic Tales of the Fire Ferrets. I sincerely hope you've enjoyed this story, and the sequel will get started in the not too distant future (still pondering some of the main plot points). However, as you saw I've left a little teaser for you to chew on, can't wait to hear the theories...**

 **:)**

 **(And Thundercatroar you called it, there was definitely one more bad guy lurking around, just have to wait for the next story...)**

 **Fly straight, my friends. Ferrets Forever.**


	23. Chapter 23

Hey folks, just a heads up that you should check out the new sequel The Tears of Heaven, now underway...

Cheers!

-V95


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